Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

So we were successful in securing a tender in to Half Moon Cay!  It is never a guarantee even though this private Bahamian island, owned by the cruise line, is on the itinerary. If conditions are rough they can just bypass the island. Mom, LC and I were on the first tender over here around 8:30 am. Last tender back to the ship is at 2:30. Six precious hours!

The sand is beautifully smooth and white and the ocean is turquoise. 

Mom walking back towards our clam shell. 

The clam shell provides a bit of shade and a place to put our belongings.

 
The clam shell proved not only to provide shade from the sun, but shelter from the rain. About two hours after we arrived a heavy shower lasted for about 10 minutes. LC was in the clam shell and I was just returning so we scrambled and got all our belongings under cover. Mom stayed dry while shopping in the gift shop. 

After the rain the clouds moved along and cleared way for the blue sky. Mom went for a swim and LC and I went for he island BBQ lunch. We were hungry as we had eaten breakfast in the room at 6:15 am. 

After lunch I went for a snorkel. Half Moon Cay has beautiful white sand beach that is silky smooth under your feet, but fairly limited snorkelling choices. I  saw lots of Sargeant Majors and a white fish that swam along the ocean floor and camouflaged itself in the ocean floor whenever I cast a shadow on it - like a great blue whale lurking above! My most exciting find was a barracuda!  A fellow snorkeller pointed him out for me!

Mom and LC had had enough heat by 1 pm and took a tender back to the ship. I stayed until 2:10 when I caught te second last tender back. 

So the sign outside the beachside bar about sums it up - "I wish I could stay here forever".  But life back in Canada beckons and we have families who we love and miss. (Though we very much appreciate having missed the -25 C weather and foot of snow this week).   I am pretty sure are suitcases are much closer to the 50 pound limit for the return flight!  (My Puerto Rican cowboy boots didn't help matters!)

We did enjoy dinner at the Pinnacle but I thought the Tamarind was better value for an extra pay meal. 

Tomorrow is just a matter of disembarking and flying home. We are flying through Houston and Dallas received snow today so we will see if our flights are impacted!

Last Day at Sea

So December 5th (yesterday) after I signed off we went to the Tamarind restaurant. Was it good food!  We paid extra to eat there - and worth it!

Here are some pictures of the food!

Then Mom and I went to last night's Las Vegas entertainer and a Canadian piano bar entertainer who were both excellent. 

Today, was our second and final day at sea (praying that we get into Holland America's private island called Half Moom Cay tomorrow so that today is the final sea day). Because if the weather isn't good tomorrow we won't be able to tender in by little boat to the island and we will have another unscheduled day at sea. 

This morning we had trivia and shopping on the Lido deck for Mom. I went to a rehearsal for the production show on tonight's mainstage. I like seeing behind the scenes life on board the ship. Earlier this morning I had seen a screening of a film showing how the cruise line deals with all the waste on board the ship. 

At 1 pm LC and Mom watched the ice carving demonstration by the pool and I went to watch the movie based on the book called Mortal Instruments. After the movie Mom and I went for a hot tub and a swim. There was even a deck chair available poolside for Laurie to lounge in. If this were a Princess cruise it would be unbelievable for a chair to be available poolside on a day at sea!  Guess Holland America caters to a different demographic!

We got all dressed up for our second formal night and went to three different photographers for pictures. Hopefully one turns out!  Supper was Mom's favourite - surf and turf. A nice little steak and a lobster tail!  Dessert was amazing too. 

After supper we played trivia and scored in the middle of the pack - not the best and not the worst. Then watched the production show, called "In Concert", I had seen in rehearsal. Best show of the cruise with lots of recognizable songs by Anre Boticelli, Celine Dion, Elton John, Cher...  We then went to the piano bar to sing Christmas carols we sat on he seats right around the piano tonight. A very fun day!

Mom's pictured her with a gorilla towel:

Piano Bar view!

St. Thomas

The weather dictated my choice of activity for today - though Mom and LC had it determined months ago - we went shopping!  Lucky for us when the downpour really happened - we were in Drake's Passage where a number of reasonably priced jewellery stores could be found. We were definitely trapped inside this covered walkway - but we could comparison shop quite easily. Even with the rain, the temperature was a lovely 29 C. As with most days, I was the Sherpa, hauling everybody's purchases and the umbrella.  I have been called Cinderella once or twice on the ship. LC said, "If you are Cinderella, then that makes me the ugly step sister!"

This is my view as I sit on the verandah typing!

My running shoes were on this same verandah drying from yesterday's walk around downtown San Juan. Unbelievably they got wetter with the driving rain today. I hope they dry by the time I have to pack my suitcase!

LC is now reviewing all her purchases with us and very happy with them indeed!  I bought a set of bamboo sheets for our master. My children each bought a set of sheets last year at Cariloha and I can hardly pry them out of their hands to wash them. 

So I think Mom is enjoying her week of pampering. She went across to the Neptune lounge to pour her own tea this afternoon and she didn't know how to work the machine - I laughed and gave her instructions saying Cinderella might not always be available! This was evidenced by the fact that she "ordered" us to change her hair appointment because it wasn't going to work with her onboard schedule!  Truth be known, we are enjoying and laughing while pampering her. 

This picture is of Mom and LC downtown.

This last picture is of Mom and I reboarding the ship. I want to upload this blog entry before I leave AT & T service !

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Mom, LC and I enjoyed breakfast in the Pinnacle today. We decided to walk the deck today. Three times around deck 3 equals a mile. Mom went around once, LC twice and I went three times. It was easy to pick up and drop off the circuit because there are deck chairs strategically placed all around. I didn't want to play myself out because a) I generally try to take the stairs all the time and b) I would be kayaking for three hours later in the day.

Trivia was much more successful because we joined up with friends I had made at Cruise Critic ( an online cruise discussion forum). The end result was a whopping 11 out of 15. LC knew the maker of the drug Viagra and I knew the lawless mountainous country of Afghanistan!  I think the other 9 answers came from our team mates!

We pulled into the port of San Juan, Puerto Rico today at 1 pm. After lunch at table 131 again ( with a great view out the aft of the ship) we were able to watch the Eurodam pull into port. Mom decided to lay down for a nap and LC and I decided to try our hand at shopping, never mind the need for an umbrella. A little rain never deterred the Hill girls from shopping!

Well our 30% chance of rain turned into a torrential downpour!  I left LC with the umbrella and ran through puddles above my ankles to get back to the ship in time to catch the bus for my kayaking excursion ! My paper bag disintegrated and dumped all of my purchases into a puddle. I should  have seen that one coming. I just kept running through the rain with the contents of my bags in my arms! 

I quickly shed my soaked clothes, changed into a bathing suit and dry (for now) clothes, grabbed my excursion bag and raced off the ship. An hour later on the bus, the rain is letting up!

We got off the bus about 1.5 hours later and were at a site where you can see bioluminescent bacteria in the water. We all paddled in double kayaks - I was paired up with Julie from Tennesee. Her husband Greg and daughter Lindsey were in another boat. So you have to understand that you are setting off in this bay in the dark because the sun has set, there is no moon and there is cloud cover to boot. Each boat is identified front and back with a single glow in the dark bracelet. Each life jacket is identified with one too - presumably if you capsized they could find you in the water!  And then you get into the mangrove where the trees grow up and over you so it is like you are paddling in a cave!  You follow the little glow in the dark bracelet single file. Sadly for us the boat in front of us lost sight if the boat in front of them and they pulled over to the right to wait rescue from one of the guides!  Julie and I persevered in the now BLACK mangrove and tried to catch up to the rest of the group. 

We found them - In the open bay with our guide shouting "Turtles" to direct us away from other groups. Each company was color coded - we were looking for blue but literally RAN into some orange boats that were returning from the bay! Nobody  capsized and they are pretty tough plastic boats!

We caught up with the group, heard the ecological lesson why the water has these glow in the dark features - like bubbles in the water when your paddle enters the bay. Reasons are warmth of Puerto Rican waters, mangrove and 5% more salinity than the ocean creates a favourable environment to glow. Neatest thing was guide disturbing a big fish that swam under our boat and created a wake of glow in the water bubbles. Spotted a big iguana in the tree when our guide shone his light on It!  Whole paddling experience start to finish was only 90 minutes. 

Mom dragged a freezing and damp LC who had returned from shopping soaked to the knees, to a number of social activities on the ship - eating, entertainment and "name that tune". They returned to meet me at the room around 10 pm roaring with laughter!  They were very pleased with their 32 out of 40 score. 

Mom just said "I'm trying to sleep to which LC just replied "well get used to it, we've been trying to read for four days" - to which Mom and I burst out laughing. I guess Laurie and I are making a bit of racket for Mom in our room. 

The view as we pulled out after dark!

Grand Turk

This morning we docked at Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos at 8 am. Our first port - woohoo !

We walked across the hall to the Neptune lounge to grab some breakfast. I had lots of fresh fruit, cottage cheese, muesli and some tea and ate it on our deck. Mom, LC and I walked off the ship between our ship and the Carnival Breeze that had arrived at port ahead of us. As we were walking off the dock I new the developed party zone of Margueritaville was on the left so we veered right. We promptly found 3 lounge chairs on the beach facing the water underneathe some palm trees. Heaven!  We met somebody from Sherwood Park today who has been on the Eurodam for the last cruise and they had poor weather. She said this was her first time floating in the ocean after 10 days in the Caribbean!  I hope this beautiful weather holds!

Mom and LC were content to sit in the chairs and watch the world go by. I grabbed my snorkel and mask and went in the water on the far side of the dock. I promptly saw a variety of fish so knew there was hope for some worthwhile snorkelling. I ended up seeing the blue Dory fish from Finding Nemo and the colourful clown fish. Beautiful warm water. 

When I returned to the chairs Mom was content to sit and enjoy the view while Laurie and I shopped in the local shops. There was nothing we had to have!  When we returned to the chairs again Mom was keen to go for a swim.  I helped her get into the water because the surf was pretty strong and could knock you over. We floated for about 30 minutes and then ventured back to shore. 

Our stomachs told us it was time to head back to the ship for lunch. 

After lunch on the Lido deck, Mom had a nap and LC and I went back on shore.  I walked to the far point of the island to see the less commercial parts of Grand Turk. I picked up a conch shell that was a bit banged up, but worth keeping. The Carnival ship departed while we were ashore ( and the all aboard blast signals made Laurie nervous we were going to miss our all aboard call at 2:30.  This was my view of the ship from the tip of the island!

 I like this picture of LC with the Eurodam in the background. 

Trivia wasn't quite as painful today with a score of 7 out of 15. I could have used my science prone husband and daughter for the chemistry question !

Day at Sea

This morning LC woke up at 6:50 and headed to the Lido buffet to pick up coffee and a bran muffin for herself. She stopped in at the Neptune lounge to pick up a coffee and bran flakes for Mom. Once Mom saw the fruit parfaits she mentioned to us that is what she'd like us to bring to her for breakfast tomorrow!  

LC and I went to the pinnacle for breakfast and enjoyed eggs Benedict !

For fun, the three of us went to a floral arranging class. Iwan did the demonstrating and Samantha did the talking. This is the workshop in progress. 

J had told me to buy some flowers for the stateroom if I wanted (wonderful husband that he is)! So I asked Iwan if I could buy the bouquet he had just created and he said yes. So the bouquet was delivered to our room this afternoon!

We had table 131 assigned to us for lunch and we had a great view out the back of the ship !

I always try to avoid the buffet and choose meals in the dining room as they offer sensible size portions (contrary to what somehow ends up loaded on my plate at the buffet). Mom ordered 3 courses off the dining room menu and then shook her head when each course arrived because she just wanted a "Taste!"  We decided that Mom should go to the buffet so she'll choose just a little spoonful of everything she wants to try !

We raced to trivia time before dessert was even offered. After getting a whopping 5 out of 15 we decided we need to sit within earshot of a smart looking group next time!   Can you believe the farm girl didn't know how many acres were in a mile?

Mom wanted to play "Name that tune" so I planted her at the Lidi Seaview pool so she could fend fend for herself. A young whippersnapper ( say 50 or so) took pity on Mom and gave her some of the answers to augment her solid score of 2 out of 15.  Thanks, but I had enough humiliation after the trivia game to want to offer Mom support with guessing song names too!

Tonight was formal night so we dressed in our finest. I really enjoyed the chocolate soufflé for dessert!

We tucked Mom into bed and LC and I went to the Avalon Orchestra to enjoy the entertainment.  

We have an early arrival in the port of Turks and Caicos tomorrow morning so we'll call it a night. 

Embarkation

Mom and LC and I took a cab to Ross this morning. Mom was on the hunt for pyjamas as she forgot hers back under her pillow in my guest room. I was shopping for a bathing suit and dresses, because they are so reasonably priced in the States. I had no luck in the bathing suit department but found 3 dresses for about $25 each!

We returned to the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort to check out of our room and await our shuttle to the ship. Loved the hotel but would have appreciated a queen sized bed. Sleeping with my sister in a double bed took me back about four decades to my childhood days!  The bed seemed quite a bit bigger in those days!

Lineups to get on board the ship seemed almost non-existent at noon when we boarded. We were thrilled with the size of our room. Right across the hall is the Neptune lounge where they have a concierge available for any of our questions and a constant supply of hors doeuvres and desserts and a cup of hot tea always at the ready!

We have enjoyed two delicious meals on the ship and are now awaiting a "Meet the Captain" evening and I can hardly keep my eyes open!  That must have something to do with waking up at 4 am MST and being on the move today!

My sister decided to have a shower and let out a shriek when she discovered just how much water leaked out of the shower. I went and asked Riyo, our cabin steward for some more towels to mop up the excess water. As LC is showered and in pyjamas laying on her bed, I am pretty sure it will be just Mom and I at the 9:30 production show of "Listen to the Music"!

Below is a picture of the Hydrotherapy pool. That is as close as I'll get to being in the pool as it is an extra charge to use it!

Mom just said she doesn't quite know if she will last until 9:30.  We'll see how heavy our eyelids become!

Ft Lauderdale

We checked into our wonderful suite

On Holland America's Eurodam.  Our wonderful oversized balcony, called the porch by Mom, is where she and my sister are residing. Just trying to send a few pictures before I get out if cell phone range.