Grand Turk

Friday, November 15, 2019

In a reversal of our normal routine, Bob's alarm went off at 6:50 am and he headed out the door to breakfast first. I followed shortly after. Jon was the last one to show up...he had gotten up early and gone to the Sunrise Stretch session in the fitness center.

The view from our faux porthole (aka the television).

The actual view.

This was the day the guys had been looking forward to. After booking the cruise, Jon decided he wanted to get scuba certified so he could dive. He had taken the confined water sessions in Georgia, but just the previous weekend had finished up his certification by doing the open water dives in the Florida Keys.

Bob and Jon left the ship to meet their dive group on shore at 8 am. Michelle and I stayed at breakfast a little longer and then packed up our beach stuff and went to shore. About the distance of a football field from the ship is the cruise center built by the Carnival Corporation. The center has various stores, eating venues and a Margaritaville with a large pool.

There were plenty of chairs and umbrellas, but only the ones owned by the cruise center (with the green umbrellas) were free. Enterprising individuals looking to make a few bucks have set up their own chairs and umbrellas at the water's edge which they will gladly rent for the day.

Michelle and I grabbed a couple of the free chairs in the back row. It was entertaining to watch others who would come and get settled into a chair in the front, thinking they had just made a great find. Once they had gotten comfortable, the chair hawker guy would come along and tell them they had to pay.

Sittin' in the cheap seats.

We had just sat down when Michelle looked up and saw the guys walking down the pier towards the beach. I yelled at Bob to get his attention and they came to where we were sitting. They had gone back on the ship to drop off their gear after their dives had been cancelled due to rough seas and poor visibility. It was quite a disappointment that they didn't get to dive.

As they had done the previous day at Half Moon Cay, the guys took off walking down the beach to see what they could discover. Michelle and I took the inflatable noodles and floated in the water. A mom with a little girl was very jealous when she saw them. She said she had looked in all of the gift shops at the cruise center for some type of inflatable and ended up paying $10 each to rent two little tubes.

There was a drop-off in the sand right at the water's edge which made it difficult to get in and even harder to get out of the surf. There were just enough waves to knock you off your feet as you tried to navigate up the steep area. Michelle and I were entertained by watching a group of ladies fall down over and over trying to get up onto the beach. (If only I would have had my GoPro handy!!)

When the guys returned they didn't say much except they had helped support the economy of the island. The four of us headed down the beach in the opposite direction. We walked until the beach gave out but the guys climbed the embankment and continued. Michelle and I turned around and went back.

A replica of John Glenn's Mercury Friendship 7 capsule which splashed down in Grand Turk in 1962.

Michelle and I stopped and bought "pina cooladas" (fruit smoothies) and went back to our chairs. By the time the guys got returned, we had finished our drinks and were getting ready to go in the water. Bob and Jon were still commenting on how they had helped the economy but not giving any details. It wasn't until Jon took off his hat that we discovered their little joke. Jon had paid to have his hair braided!! Sometimes I think those two need "adult" supervision.

Side note:  Jon was actually a student in my 10th grade geometry class during my first year of full time teaching. Although we have become good friends since, I can say there were many times that he tried my patience with his antics in school! 

Our day in Grand Turk was a short one, with all aboard time set for 2:30 pm. Before going back onto the ship, we walked over to the Margaritaville and checked out the pool.

The crew at the cruise center take that yellow line pretty seriously.
Throughout the day we could hear them blowing their whistles to warn the offenders.

Damp towels and cool drinks were always available when we returned from a port.

Lunch was hot dogs and burgers from the Dive In and we ate sitting by the midship pool. Afterwards I went outside and watched as the ship pulled away from the dock. I debated about staying outside for awhile longer, but opted to take a shower and a nap while Bob was out of the cabin playing pickleball. By the time he got back, I was dressed and almost ready for dinner.

A comedian, Scott Harris, was on the main stage for the evening entertainment. His routine was centered around old people jokes much like the comedian from the previous week, but a little more entertaining. One part of his act that really got the audience involved was where he was say the beginning of an old advertising slogan and the audience would finish. Bob and I knew all of the slogans, but Jon is 10 years younger and was stumped by some.

Our game of Wizards was played in the Lido buffet. We were losing an hour of sleep by turning the clocks one hour ahead so we didn't stick around for late night snacks.

What a goof. He was paying the price for his silliness though. The braids were so tight he had developed a headache!

Sea Day #3

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Ahhh. A glorious sea day with no alarm! You would think after going to bed at 8:30 pm I would be awake before dawn. But then you would be wrong. I got up at 7:30 am after eleven hours of being rocked like a baby!

When we joined Jon and Michelle for breakfast, they were sharing the table with a guy named, Charley. Sometimes it is annoying to not be able to find a table in the buffet, but when the crowds force you to share with strangers it often turns out to be a new friendship. We saw Charley and his wife often throughout the coming week and he even became a pickleball player!

I swung by the cabin after breakfast and picked up my iPad and went to the library to work on my blog notes. The library is one space that I have enjoyed both on the Zaandam and the Veendam.

Library

Puzzles area in library.

Computers in the library.

I kept an eye on the time and at 10 am I went up to the Lido to see if Bob and Jon were playing in the ping pong tournament (they were.) While I was roaming about the ship, I took the time to take some photos of the public areas.

The ping pong tables were located by the mid-ship pool.

I had been to most of the Microsoft classes before, but I noticed a new one being offered at 10:30..."Painting Landscapes with a Digital Pen." I got there a little early which was a good thing, because by the time the door was unlocked and we entered the Microsoft Studio, there was standing room only. I was surprised to see that the stations were now equipped with tiny laptops, instead of the large monitors that I had encountered on other ships.

Microsoft Workshop.

 I don't have the artistic ability to use the Paint software like it was intended, but I was impressed with what the program was able to do. It was much more complex than I imagined and in the right hands could produce beautiful works of art. Using a stylus, you could choose the medium (such as watercolor, oils, etc.) and even blend your own pallet of colors. I knew I didn't have the time or talent to produce a masterpiece, so instead just concentrated on "playing" and discovering what the program was capable of doing.

Yes...this looks like a 5 year old's work, but I was amazed at how the "digital" paint acted much like real paint.

After the class I continued my walk through the ship taking photos. By then the guys had moved from ping pong to pickleball. If you have been following the blog, you have easily figured out which one of us is the athletic one. After some serious health problems in the last few years, Bob looks at exercise as a prescription for good health. And it doesn't hurt that he is very competitive too.

Mid-ship pool with retractable roof open.

Coffee bar.

Future cruise consultant desk located by coffee bar.

I loved the frames of feathered head dresses by the future cruise desk.

When I started to go into the Crow's Nest, I saw a sign that said "Private Party" so I went to the other side to enter. After taking a couple of pictures, a light bulb went off and I remembered that the Cruise Critic Meet & Greet was to have been held at 10 am. I was irritated at myself for forgetting but then I happened to think...maybe the private party WAS the Cruise Critic group. I felt a little silly, but walked over and asked and found out it was!! Only about a dozen people and they were still sitting there chatting an hour and a half later! I pulled up a chair and visited with them until the group started to break up a little before noon. Usually the CC meet & greets attract a large crowd and you may only get to talk to a few people, so having the small group was nice.

Crow's Nest. Great views and comfortable chairs!

I hustled to get to the workshop, "Phone-o-graphy", at noon......and sat down in a seat by the door. When I got out my phone, I saw I had a message on the Navigator app from Michelle saying she would meet me at the workshop. I looked up and she was sitting on the other side of the room laughing and waving at me!

We only made it through the first few minutes of the class. The presenter was one of the ship photographers and he spoke with such a heavy accent that it made it hard to follow what he was saying. That, coupled with the fact that I already knew most of what he was teaching AND that there were so many questions being asked, we decided to leave. (To say that most of the people in the room were technically challenged would be a gross understatement! Many of them needed one-on-one assistance and trying to teach them tips and tricks to better cell phone photography in a group session just wasn't going to work.)

So...instead, we met up with the guys at lunch. We were excited to see that the ice cream flavor of the day was rocky road which we all enjoyed. As I was waiting in line to get the ice cream, one of the crew members tipped over a cart full of trays of pre-plated desserts and plates began crashing o the floor. The poor guy was trying to upright the cart and as he did even more plates slid off. One of the chefs just happen to walk by and came to his rescue.

In the afternoon, Michelle and I attended the port talk on Grand Turk and San Juan. It was interesting and helpful, but we were both struggling to stay awake. I asked Cisco, the EXC Guide, if we would be able to take an Uber to one of the forts in San Juan and it sounds like that should work. If not, he said taxis would also be available.

A good turnout for the port talk.

Before getting ready for the first gala night of the second cruise (the 3rd gala night for us!) I took my iPad outside and sat on the promenade deck updating my blog. There was a very pleasant breeze and I savored each minute knowing I would be returning to winter soon. I watched as a group of birds flew alongside the ship. It seemed to me that they were quite a long distance from land!

For a change, I have a copy of the dinner menu and photos of what we ordered!

Orange-Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Escargots Bourguignon

Cracked Pepper Tenderloin with Grilled Shrimp

Baked Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Tangerine Glazed Duck Breast

The Captain's Welcome Toast was held at 7:15 pm followed by the production show, "Droom" featuring the singers and dancers...and some very elaborate costumes! (FYI...the word "droom" means dream in Dutch.)

Cruise director, Hanna Delaney all dressed up for gala night.

Captain, Marek Zoll

I have no notes past that point which probably means we had a later evening playing cards and then went to bed. The guys were looking forward to their day in Grand Turk...and finally a chance for them to scuba dive.

Ft. Lauderdale - Turn Around Day

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

For most of the passengers, this was the end of their cruise. For us, it was "Turn Around Day", and the beginning of our second week of cruising. After going to the Western Caribbean for our first week, now it was time to sail to the Eastern Caribbean.

Actually it was the announcement for those passengers doing "self-debarkation" that woke me up. We had considered doing breakfast in the main dining room to avoid the last-day-of-the-cruise crowds at the Lido buffet but nixed that idea when we found out they were only serving until 8 am.

Michelle sent a message via Navigator app when they were on their way up to the buffet and we met them there. We took our time eating as we listened to the different debarkation groups being called when it was their turn to leave the ship. While we were eating, a lady sat down beside us and was holding a bag of ice on her ribs. She was in pain and obviously not happy. She explained that this cruise was to have been a mother/daughter trip and at the last minute the daughter's boyfriend (whom she didn't like) invited himself along. The boyfriend had suggested they do an excursion in Key West (on the first day!) where they were pulled behind a jet ski and she had been flipped off. She had been in pain ever since and suspected that she had broken her ribs. She might have been the only one on the ship who was glad the cruise was ending.

Michelle went back with us to our cabin while we waited for the in-transit guests to be called. Jon had already left to pick up their car that was parked at the port to go out shopping. He was determined to get some athletic shoes so he didn't have to play pickleball in his water shoes! Twice there was an announcement where passengers were called by name and asked to get off the ship. It was a little after 9:30 when the ship was finally cleared of all debarking guests and the in-transit passengers (like us) were called to the theater. From there we were lead off the ship in a group and through a passport check.

Not everyone followed directions however, and we were left standing in the terminal until everyone made it off. I'm not sure, but to me it looked like a couple hundred passengers were staying on for the next cruise. The couple standing next to us in line had gotten on the ship in Montreal and had been on for five cruises!

Several tours were available for passengers doing the back-to-back cruises, but I just wanted to stay on the ship. For a few hours we would be able to enjoy an almost empty ship. Michelle and I changed into our swimsuits and went to the midship pool. With blue skies and warm temps, the retractable roof was open.

Bob went to the gym to work out and then met up with us at lunch time. We ordered a couple of pizzas (something I had wanted to do all week and just hadn't gotten around to it). While we were waiting on the pizzas, we went through the salad bar line. We sat at a table on the aft deck and watched as clouds were starting to build. The rain began and by the time we had finished eating, it was pouring. We moved inside the buffet and got some dessert and coffee and moved to a table near the midship pool. The roof was still partially open and the rain was coming in pretty heavy until they closed the roof.

Michelle was starting to worry that Jon wasn't going to make it back on the ship in time. He was texting us updates and we were all relieved when he announced he was onboard. Bob, Michelle and I sat in a hot tub and watched as all of the new passengers were arriving...excited to begin the cruise.

Around 3 pm I went back to the room to shower and get ready for dinner. I had hoped to be done in time to watch sail away from the aft deck as we had the previous week, but the wind and rain would have undone all of the work I just did to get my hair fixed.

While I was in the cabin getting ready, Bob had gone out on the Lower Promenade deck and watched as the supplies were being loaded onto the ship.

Dogs sniffing the crates.

Lots of pineapples!

We were not required to attend the muster drill for this cruise so I met Bob at the library. We sat in the comfy chairs and did some last minute "internetting" while we still had a cell signal. It was raining quite hard at 5 pm when the Veendam sailed out of the channel. Instead of being on the top deck and waving at the webcam (as we had done the previous week) we watched from the large windows in the library.

The Konigsdam was docked next to the Veendam. 

What a difference a week made! Last week we sailed from Ft. Lauderdale under bright blue skies!

A cozy place to read. Bob got in the habit of coming to the library each night before dinner while I was getting ready.

Pretending to wave to the webcam as we sailed by.

When we got to the dining room at 5:15, Michelle was there alone. Jon was back in their cabin finishing up some work while he still had a cell signal. Michelle ordered for him and he got to the dining room about the same time as the food was served.

Once the ship reached the open water it began to roll...big time. The movement intensified to the point that Jon and Michelle were both starting to feel sick. They had brought motion sickeness patches, but had not put any on for the last few days when the seas had been so calm.

They excused themselves and left for their cabin. Bob and I decided to skip dessert and get something in the buffet later so we left too. Once we got up and started to walk we realized just how much the ship was moving. We went out onto the promenade deck but didn't stay long...it was so windy!!

At that point we both agreed that we really didn't want to go to the Lido for dessert, but went back to our cabin for a quiet evening instead. We each took a dose of Meclazine but Bob worried that he might have waited too long. The best place to avoid movement was his bed, so he crawled in shortly after 8 pm and within a few minutes was sound asleep. I tried to work on my blog notes, but found myself getting so sleepy I just gave up and joined him at 8:30.

Throughout the night I woke up several times and was aware of the ship movement. At times I could hear groaning and gurgling noises as the ship rolled. I thoroughly enjoyed being tucked into my bed and being rocked all night long.