Usually I post photos with my entries – but this one is a narrative of my Cruise vacation with out embedded photos.
For photos – click here – or click on the Bill’s On Line Photos link to the right.
Sunday – Raleigh to Ft. Lauderdale
Typical travel day.
Easy flight from RDU to Ft. Lauderdale. Jet Blue has their act together.
Met up with David and Olga at dinner. Which for me, was a scallop cocktail, chilled fruit soup, pork medallions and a custard parfait for dessert.
David (the vegetarian) said his eggplant Parmesan was the best he’s ever had.
Yummy.
I got up at 0500 so I was tired and went to bed early – around 2100.
Nuke stayed up till the bars closed.
Monday – Half Moon Cay
Half Moon Cay is the HAL (Carnival Corporation) private island.
We rented a cabana which we were kind of wary of due to the high price ($300).
It was great.
Over priced and waaay too expensive – but still great.
Provided shade, a couple of fans, water mister, a place to shower off sand and a nice covered place to sit or read if the sun was too much or to sit out the one rain storm. Much nicer than dealing with lounges in the sand.
Dinner was scallops, avocado soup, chicken breast stuffed with spinach and cheese on guava with roasted peppers and pineapple.
Tuesday – Grand Turk
Sailed into Grand Turk around 1000.
We got some lounge chairs in the shade (and also rented ‘clamshells’) and lazed around.
Dave and Olga left their stuff with me and caught a cab over to the lighthouse.
There isn’t much else here.
Seriously.
Other than the cruise port – which was developed and owned by Carnival – there’s nothing on this island. Scuba diving is the only draw this island has.
As touristy as it is – the best thing to do is lounge on the beach, do a little window shopping – and that’s about it.
I read, swam, read some more, had a pina colada, napped, swam, read a little more, and napped again. Pretty nice day if you ask me.
Nuke walked past the port complex and hung out a local bar for a while.
Tonight was formal night. Most cruise ships have gone more and more casual. HAL still requires tuxedos or suits / jackets on formal nights. If you don’t have a jacket, you are NOT allowed in the dining room on formal night.
Traditional fare – jumbo shrimp cocktail, chilled potato and leek soup, surf and turf, vanilla hot chocolate sundae with almonds. Excellent.
This evening I finished a wonderful book – The Lost City of Z by David Grann.
About the Amazon explorer Percy Fawcett.
It’s part biography, history of Amazon exploration and current Indian tribe status and culture.
Compelling story and very well written. I really lucked out with this random selection from the ship’s library.
Wednesday – Sea Day
A day of sea travel on the way to Grand Cayman.
Didn’t do much.
Read, walked around the ship, listened to music and such.
Excellent string quartet on board, by the way.
The evening show was Olympic gymnast Lance Ringnald.
Best show so far. He explained the different things he did, the technique involved, the training required, etc. A very entertaining and informative act. Best act so far on this trip.
Dinner was pretty simple for me – crab mouse, chilled blueberry soup, and a simple salad with oil and balsamic vinegar. The salad was on the starter side, but I had it for the main course.
If you’re over 50 – roughage is your friend.
Thursday - Grand Cayman
Nuke and I walked around town and then stopped at a local bar away from the tourist district. After a couple (each) of very well made cocktails (and by well made – I mean STRONG) we staggered back towards the port area.
I split off at the National Museum and Nuke went on to another local bar.
Dave and Olga went out to Sting Ray City on Wave Runners. They said it was a blast.
Dinner was chilled apple, peach and pear appetizer, coconut soup and thinly sliced citrus marinated beef over a salad with avocados.
Nuke had the surf and turf for the filet mignon. He doesn’t like shell fish so I ate his lobster tail.
Friday - Mujuhual aka Costa Maya
Slept in since the ship didn’t arrive till 1000. We went ashore at 1100 for a tour of Chacchoben Mayan Ruins.
Our tour was through a private guide, not the ship’s tour.
It was a great private tour – however – we did have one scary moment. At speed - the left rear tire blew out – completely shredded – nothing left but the rim. Our driver eased us over to the side of the road. The tour company sent out a replacement van.
The Mayan Ruins were great – see the photos in my link to the right.
Dinner was a fruit salad, crab soup and steak.
Saturday – Sea Day
I crept out of the room early so that Nuke could sleep in.
Went to the top observation lounge and finished a Christopher Moore novel (Fool).
The Westerdam is full of art (as most ships are).
Nuke downloaded an Art Tour of the ship from the HAL website for me to this i-pod. Essentially - like an art museum audio tour.
I took the i-pod tour during the afternoon.
BUT - the ship has been remodeled since the tour was created - so - the tour was out of order.
Soon - I was out of sequence with the i-pod tour.
Nuke had showed me how to stop / pause / start the i-pod - but didn't show me how to fast forward or fast reverse it.
Frustrated - I spotted a kid (young guy) in the hall - "hey you - you're young - can you help me with this?"
The guy said "sure". He showed me how to operate the various functions and such.
Then - some other people came up and asked me - "Would you please take a picture of us?"
Sure thing - I figured they were with the kid (young guy).
While taking their photos with the kid - I realized - the "kid" was Lance Ringnald!
I apologized - he told me that it was great to be treated like a regular person.
He and I then hung out for a while and talked.
If you want details about his career, girl friend (health problems - but getting better), life as a cruise ship entertainer, etc. - give me a call.
Gala Dinner – some kind of mouse, another appetizer, soup, shrimp scampi and baked Alaska.
We all met for the show later and I hung out with Nuke at the Sports Bar afterward.
Around midnight – I went back to the room and packed.
Sunday – Ft. Lauderdale to Raleigh
Nuke and I rolled our bags down the hall to Dave and Olga’s room and hung out with them during disembarkation.
Dave and Olga headed out to Miami South Beach for a couple of days.
Nuke and I had a late afternoon flight back to Raleigh. Outside the terminal I asked a Policeman where to spend time till our flight. He said, “Early Sunday morning? I know just where to send you.” He waved a cab for us and told the driver to take us to the “Marriott Beach Place – Ft. Lauderdale” and added “between Las Olas and 17th Street”.
The taxi took us to a great place right on the beach. An upscale residential / hotel area with shops, restaurants, coffee bars – next to the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton.
Nuke and I spent the day at the h2o Café.
Nuke had a few beers, I had a Cuban sandwich and some Pellegrino water – and we spent a few hours people watching.
Walked next door to the Ritz Carlton entrance, caught a cab to the airport and away to Raleigh.
All in all – a great vacation.
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