Friday - February 1, 2019 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
We got up at 5:00 am and left for the airport at 5:15. We had spent the night at Jennifer's house so that she could drive us to the airport. Amy and Don had come to have dinner with us also. It was a little foggy when we got to the airport. We got coffee and a breakfast at the airport. Our flight took off on time at 7:00 am. We found out later that flights after ours were delayed because of the fog. We had an hour and a half layover in Charlotte, NC. It was very crowded at this airport. Our plane was on time, but we were diverted in the air because of storms causing us to land 20 minutes behind schedule. Once we landed, I called for a hotel shuttle. We had to wait over 30 minutes in the sun for the shuttle to arrive. When we got checked in at the Marriot Fairfield Inn, we walked across the parking lot and got Wendy's for dinner. We went to bed pretty early since it had been such a long day.
Saturday - February 2, 2019 Embarkation Day
This was the beginning of a 14 day Caribbean Cruise.
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| Cruise map |
We got up and had breakfast in the hotel around 7:00. We both showered and we caught the shuttle ($10/each) to the cruise port at 10:00. We checked in at the cruise terminal about 10:45 and were on board the ship by 11:30. Weather was nice today. We ate lunch in the Lido, then walked all over the ship while we waited for our luggage to be put in our room.
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| View of Atrium |
Once our luggage was in our room, we spent a couple of hours unpacking and getting settled in. We had an inside room on the 4th deck (room 4165).
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| View in room |
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| Double bed |
We got ready and went to dinner at 5:15, we both like to eat early. We sat at a table with two other couples and really enjoyed the conversation. We always like meeting other people when we travel. At the beginning of dinner Mike and I both bought a Select 6 Cellar 1 wine package. It's cheaper than buying it by the glass. After dinner we went to the BB Kings Blues Club. The band was good! After that we went back to our room and were in bed by 9:30. It was a fun day.
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| Towel art our first night |
Sunday - February 3, 2019 Key West, Florida
I woke up at 6:30 this morning and got ready for the day. I went to the Lido area and the sea view pool about 7:00 and saw a beautiful sunrise over Key West.
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| Sunrise |
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| Sea View Pool |
When Mike joined me we ate breakfast at the Lido. I had an omelet and a small Waffle with triple berry compote. Delicious! Mike and I loved the made to order omelets.
We got off the ship about 9:00. We walked through Mallory Square looking for a tourist information center, but most were closed because it was Sunday. We finally found the only information center open at the Chamber of Commerce building and got a map for wandering around the town on our own.
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| Oosterdam from the Key West dock |
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| Beautiful weather! |
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| Old ship at Mallory Square |
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| Good Name! |
After getting our bearings, we walked down Duvall Street then went a block over to Whitehead Street and walked toward the Hemingway House. We were not impressed with Duvall Street, it was just dirty and seedy looking. While on Whitehead Street, we walked past the Truman Little White House and then came to the 'End of The Rainbow'. This is the south end of highway 1.
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| Truman Little White House |
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| Lots of roosters wandering around Key West |
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| Mike at end of Route 1 |
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| Mary at 'End of Rainbow' next to Kapok Tree. |
Eventually we got to the Hemingway House and the Lighthouse. We turned around at this point because we had walked about 1 1/2 miles and it was getting pretty hot.
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| Ernest Hemingway House |
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| Lighthouse |
On our way back to the ship we stopped at the First Flight Microbrewery and Bar and each had a 'Main Squeeze' beer. It was a good beer on a hot morning.
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| Enjoying a cold beer on a hot day. |
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| Mike in front of the First Flight Microbrewery |
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| Art in Mallory Square |
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| An old building in Mallory Square |
We got back to the ship about 12:30 and ate lunch at the Lido. We rested in the room for a while then sat by the Lido Pool and watched people parasailing until dinner time. After dinner we went back to the BB King show since there was a super bowl watch party at the Mainstage. After the show we went to our room and watched the end of the super bowl. This was a really good day with perfect weather.
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| View from the Lido deck |
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| Waiting for the show at BB King. |
Monday - February 4, 2019 Sea Day 1
This was the first sea day of the cruise. I got up at 6:30 again and went to breakfast. After breakfast, Mike and I walked 2 miles on the promenade deck. It was a little difficult walking because they were having a 'Walk for the Cure' event with a lot of people participating. After our walk we went to the 'America's Test Kitchen' to learn how to make chicken and shrimp tacos. We liked the Test Kitchen shows. We ate at the Lido taco bar for lunch then went to our room to rest. We got dressed for the first of four Gala Dinners on this cruise. Luckily, Mike only had to wear dress pants and a button down shirt - no coat or tie. One couple at our table was from Salt Lake City (Terry and Marilyn) and had 33 grandchildren. We got put at their table 3 more times during the first week of the cruise. Good thing we enjoyed visiting with them. After dinner we watched the 'Musicology' show at the Mainstage. It was very good. We ended the evening with Happy Hour at the Ocean Bar. We were back at our room around 10:00 pm. We really enjoyed the sea day.
Tuesday - February 5, 2019 Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
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| Sign with the Oosterdam in the background |
We had breakfast around 7:00. There was a pretty sunrise over the Amber Cove cruise terminal.
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| Sunrise |
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| Amber Cove Cruise Terminal |
We got off the ship around 9:00 and walked around the terminal area for a while then found some lounge chairs in the shade by the pool. Amber Cove has a large pool that is free for Holland America and Carnival Cruise costumers. At first our ship was the only one in port. We swam, lay in the shade, and enjoyed the warm, beautiful weather.
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| Mary in front of terminal entrance |
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| Local band in the terminal area |
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| Pool |
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| Mike is relaxing in the shade |
At noon a large Carnival ship docked and the pool area started to become a little crowded so we went back on the ship. We ate lunch at the Dive In Cafe; Mike got a burger and I got a hot dog. They were both really good. We rested until dinner time. After dinner we watched the BBC Planet Earth show in the Mainstage. The ship's orchestra played live music to match the show on the screen. It was a pretty good show and the music was excellent. We went to the Ocean Bar for happy hour after the show then headed to our room about 9:45. This was a beautiful, relaxing day.
Wednesday - February 6, 2019 Grand Turk, Grand Turks and Caicos
We got up around 7:00, ate breakfast, and got off the ship by 8:15. We looked at some displays about early space flight. Some early space capsules had splashed down near this area.
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| Mary ready for some beach time |
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| Mike looking at the NASA display |
We walked 1/3 of a mile to the right of the cruise terminal area to Boady Point. We had planned to snorkel there, but it was too rough so we went back to the cruise terminal area. Holland America has a beach area by the dock with lounge chairs and umbrellas for customers. We were fortunate because there were no other ships at Grand Turk this day so it wasn't very crowded. We snorkeled in the area close to the dock walkway and it was pretty good. We saw 8 different types of fish and the water was very clear. We shared a local beer before heading back to the ship around 1:00.
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| View of the beach and the Oosterdam from Boady Point |
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| Mary enjoying the warm water |
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| Mike relaxing in the shade |
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| Having a fun time |
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| Toes in the sand |
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| A view of the beach and the area where we snorkeled |
We ate lunch at the Lido then went and took a nap. After resting all afternoon, we got ready and went to dinner. After dinner we went to a magic show at the Mainstage. It wasn't a very good magic show. After the show we went to the Ocean Bar for happy hour. We really enjoyed our time snorkeling and relaxing on the beach at Grand Turk.
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| Grand Turks |
Thursday - February 7, 2019 Sea Day 2
We got up early for breakfast again. After breakfast we walked a couple of miles on the Promenade deck before going to the Test Kitchen at 10:00. The cooks taught us how to make chicken marsala and chocolate cake for 2.
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| America's Test Kitchen set |
We ate lunch in the Lido then went back to the Test Kitchen to see how to make Pad Thai and Scallion Pancakes. Next we sat in the sun on the observation deck for a while before going to get ready for our second Gala Dinner. Our table companions were Terry and Marilyn for the third time. After dinner we went to the Mainstage to watch 'Billboard Top 20' by the HAL performers. It was similar to a show we had seen on the Panama Canal cruise, but was still very entertaining.
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| In our favorite seats at the Mainstage |
After the show we went to the Ocean Bar for happy hour (I think there was a pattern here) before heading to bed. This was a nice relaxing day.
Friday - February 8, 2019 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
After our normal breakfast, we got ready and got off the ship around 8:45. We found lounge chairs on the left side of the beach in the shade, kind of close to the children's splash pad and tender area. We snorkeled to the left side of the beach around the large cabana and slide. We wouldn't have been able to snorkel here if the cabana had been rented for the day. We saw a lot of fish there. I saw a couple of flounders, a puffer fish, lots of different types of angel fish, and a lot of other fish I don't know the names of. The water here is so clear that it makes snorkeling good and easy. We never had to go above our heads in the water to find fish.
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| View of Half Moon Cay from the tender |
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| Mike on the tender |
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| The Oosterdam from the beach |
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| Mike's enjoying the water |
After snorkeling we walked to the BBQ pavilion and had lunch then walked to the opposite side of the island to see the sting ray area.
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| BBQ Pavilion |
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| Sting rays in the enclosure |
On our way back to the beach we stopped and got dessert. We rested at the beach a while then got back on board about 1:30.
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| Enjoying the day |
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| Entrance to the island |
When we got back on board the ship we changed into dry clothes and went to the Test Kitchen. We rested a while before going to dinner. After dinner we went to the early BB King show before calling it a night. This was a great day and a good end to the first week of our cruise.
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| We love Half Moon Cay! |
Saturday - February 9, 2019 Fort Lauderdale, Florida
We did our normal 7:00 breakfast. Afterward we walked a couple of miles on the Promenade deck. It rained off and on all day. Even though we were staying on the ship to cruise another week, TSA required everyone to get off the ship, have their passport checked, and then get back on. This was pretty quick and easy. We went and ate lunch in the Lido, then took a nap before hanging out in the Crow's Nest for a while. While in the Crow's Nest there was a rainbow because of the rain.
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| Fort Lauderdale Waterway |
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| Hanging out while in port |
At dinner our companions were Terry and Marilyn for the 4th time. This was becoming a habit. They were nice and interesting people though. After dinner we went back to BB King. One thing we discovered; a gospel singing event was occurring during this second week of our cruise and over half of the guests were with this group. This made some things the second week not as good. We didn't like that we weren't told this before booking.
Sunday - February 10, 2019 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas Again!
We had our normal breakfast then took a tender to Half Moon Cay about 9:00. It was too cool to do too much in the water (about 70 degrees). We did lay out by the beach a bit and I got in the water just for a minute or two.
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| Having fun at HMC |
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| Nice view |
When we were done laying out, we took a hike around part of the island, turning around by the stables. We walked about 2 miles. It was a nice day for a hike.
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| The undeveloped part of the island |
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| Mike at the far end of the hike by the stables |
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| What a nice day! |
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| View of HMC from the Crow's Nest |
We got lunch on our way back then got back on the ship about 1:30. We napped, showered, then dressed for dinner before going to sit at he Crow's Nest. We ate dinner in the Lido then drank wine at the Ocean Bar. We went to the Mainstage to watch the comedian Ken Boyd. He was pretty funny. After that we went back to our room. This was another fun day.
Monday - February 11, 2019 Sea Day 3
We went to the Lido about 7:30 for breakfast. It was very crowded because of the Gospel crowd. They tended to go everywhere at the same time because of the scheduled concerts (that only their group could go to). After breakfast we walked a couple of miles then went to watch America's Test Kitchen at 10:00. Lunch in the the Lido was very crowded again. After lunch we went back to the Test Kitchen at 1:00. Then we went to our room to rest and get dressed up for our third Gala Night. The dining room was almost empty. The Gospel crowd ate at the late seating time. After dinner we went to the Billboard piano bar and listened to the 'Never #1' show before going to the Mainstage. The HAL singers and dancers did a show called '1000 Steps' that was very good. After that we went back to the room and called it a night.
Tuesday - February 12, 2019 Falmouth, Jamaica
We had breakfast then got off the ship about 9:00. There is a new cruise port area here with the normal bars and shops.
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| A view of the Cruise Terminal from the ship |
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| A view of Falmouth from the ship |
We walked out of the terminal area into the town trying to find a place to walk to a beach. No Luck! Every shore area was blocked. We walked around town a little bit, but didn't really find anything to do. At one point another tourist couple was following us thinking that we knew how to get places in town. How wrong they were. Falmouth didn't feel unsafe, but it is a really poor town. We had thought about getting a beer in a bar in town, but were a little afraid of unsanitary conditions. On the way back to the cruise terminal we did try to shop in a small area but didn't really like the feel of the place.
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| Mike on a street in Falmouth |
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| A grocery store in town |
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| A typical bar in the town |
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| A street entertainer close to the cruise terminal entrance. |
We walked back to the cruise terminal and did some shopping there. The terminal is a secure area that only allows tourists, workers, and shop owners in. The shops had a better feel and were still owned by locals. I bought a t-shirt and we got a pound of Jamaican coffee to take home. We went to Margaritaville to get a local beer for each of us. Turns out the local beer was a Red Stripe that you can buy in Arkansas. Still was a pretty good beer on a hot day.
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| Sign in the terminal area |
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| And a picture together |
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| There's a Margaritaville in every port |
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| Enjoying the Red Stripe |
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| A local band and dancer in the cruise terminal area |
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| The terminal area with the Oosterdam in the background |
We got back on the ship at 12:30, had lunch, then went and sat in the Crow's Nest. After resting and looking at the views we got ready and went to dinner.
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| View of a Jamaican Resort from the Crow's Nest |
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| Another view of Jamaica |
We had our only bad table companions this night, a mother and son pair from Alberta Canada. They complained about everything. After dinner we went to the Billboard Bar and listened to country music, took part in a trivia game, then listened to the 70's Show. The musicians at the dueling pianos were good and a lot of fun to listen to. We went back to our room and headed to bed after the second show. Even though we didn't do much, we had a fun day.
Wednesday - February 13, 2019 George Town, Grand Cayman
We took the tender into George Town at 9:30 after we had breakfast. It was another beautiful day. We walked around town for a while then went to Sharkeez to share a burger and fries for lunch with a Caybrew beer each. After lunch we found a shady place to sit and make some phone calls.
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| In George Town for the day |
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| The view at lunch |
We went back to the ship at 1:30 and got ice cream at the Lido. We went back to our room and rested until time for dinner - the 4th and last Gala Night. After dinner we listened to music at the Billboard Bar until time for the show at the Mainstage. The show was a dance/music production by the HAL entertainers called One World. It was very entertaining. When this show was over we went to the BB King theater and listened to a music set there. We got back to our room about 10:30. We were tired but had a really enjoyable day.
Thursday - February 14, 2019 Cozumel, Mexico
Valentine's Day and the last port of call on this cruise. The ship didn't get to Cozumel until about 11:00. We had breakfast, went back to our room to get ready for the day, and waited by the Lido pool and in the Crow's Nest until it was time to get off the ship. Once we disembarked, we walked to the left from the cruise terminal for about a mile until we got to Sunset Beach. We had planned to do some snorkeling there, but the surf was a little too rough. We sat at the patio of the restaurant there and had lunch. Mike had tacos and I had quesadillas. We both had a local beer also. Our waiter, Alfredo, was very good and friendly.
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| Mike on the walkway into Cozumel |
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| Mary on the walkway |
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| Sign as we are leaving the terminal |
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| The snorkeling area at Sunset Beach |
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| Mary in front of snorkeling area |
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| Mike relaxing |
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| Sign at the beach |
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| Local band in the terminal area |
We went back to the ship at 2:30 and had ice cream at the Lido again. After that we just hung out by the pool until it was time to go get ready for dinner. We ate dinner with a couple named Rita and Eddie from Maryland for the 3rd time. They were a really nice couple. The dining room was decorated for Valentine's Day which was nice. We went to BB Kings later then on to bed. Another good day.
Friday - February 15, 2019 Sea Day 4
Last day of our cruise. We had breakfast then went to the Test Kitchen at 10:00. After that we went to the Mariner's lunch in the dining room. When lunch was over we went back to our room to get most of our packing completed. We had to have our bags out later that night. We rested then went to dinner, which we ate with Rita and Eddie again. After dinner we went to the Billboard Bar then BB King. We went back to our room, put our suitcases out, and went to bed.
Saturday - February 16, 2019 Fort Lauderdale, Florida then Home
We got up at 6:15 and ate breakfast - our last omelet and waffle. We finished packing our backpacks, left a tip for our room attendants then went to wait by the Sea View pool for our turn to disembark.
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| View of Fort Lauderdale from the Sea View pool area |
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| Cruise terminal area |
We left the ship at 8:30 and were transferred to the airport. Both of our flights were uneventful. Jennifer picked us up at the airport and we got home by 8:00 pm. This was a fun relaxing trip and we enjoyed the warm weather in the middle of winter.
