Category: Caribbean

Memories of cruises/trips to the Caribbean

Disembarkation & Traveling Home

Saturday, November 9, 2024

The ship moved the clocks back last night so we would match Boston’s eastern standard time. I woke up at 6:00 before the alarm. I felt the ship moving and realized that wasn’t right. We should have already been docked. I went out on the balcony and could see we were getting close, but we were definitely going to be delayed disembarking even with the extra hour we had gained.

Chuck and I went to the Lido for breakfast. It was very busy as expected. The Cruise Director came on the intercom to tell us what we already knew – high winds had slowed down our approach to the pier but, unlike a cargo ship in front of us, we would be docking soon. That cargo ship had to turn back and would have to wait for the winds to die down.

We finally did dock but then had to wait for the Customs and Border Patrol to come on board to clear the ship. The Cruise Director kept having to come on the intercom and ask people not to crowd the gangway area but to wait either in the staterooms or a public area like the Rolling Stone Lounge. Then, she started calling for guests who had to go have a face-to-face meeting with the CBP.

Finally, about 8:30 (an hour later than normal), she announced that CBP had finished their inspection, and the ship was cleared to start the disembarkation process beginning with those guests who needed no help with their luggage nor needed wheel-chair assistance. Those guests are called “self-assist group.”

We were scheduled to be called at 8:30 but I knew it would be at least 45 minutes after the self-assist people were called before we would be. The port has to get the luggage out and set up by the color and number codes in order for passengers to retrieve them.

Our flight was due to start boarding at 11:30 with takeoff at noon. I wasn’t sure how many other ships were in port today. In August, we were in port with several other ships and taxis were hard to come by. I was doing my deep breathing exercises and thinking about a Plan B if we missed the flight.

I was surprised when they announced at 9:00 that our group could disembark. We should have been able to leave the ship and walk right through the terminal to the luggage pick-up area. However, we were stopped in the terminal because all the luggage had not been delivered for our group. I could see the forklifts full of luggage moving back and forth from the terminal to the ship. The port people were not happy that the ship was disembarking people before the assigned luggage areas were ready.

About 9:30, we were allowed to go to our luggage area where we found our three pieces. I saw the taxi line starting to get long so Chuck got us a porter and the porter whisked us through the CBP facial recognition system and out to the cab area. He was able to grab us a taxi quickly (I think the cabbies give priority to the porters) and we were headed to the airport.

The airport is not that far away but there is still a lot of road closures because of construction so it took about 20 minutes.

We checked our two big bags at the outside Delta kiosk and found the TSA pre-check line inside. At security, I got stopped for a random hand-swabbing. Did they really think I may have handled explosives? We found our gate and I had time to buy a bottle of water. I gate-checked one of our carry-ons so we could have more legroom without a bag underneath the seat in front of us.

The flight was full and took off on-time. I watched Deadpool and Wolverine. I thought it was good but not as funny as the first two Deadpool movies. Chuck finished Horizon that he had started on the flight to Boston and was disappointed with the ending. Maybe the next installment of Horizon will be better.

We retrieved our luggage in Atlanta by 3:10. I was shocked to see the 3:00 shuttle was still there when we got to the ground transportation area. We had reservations for the 4:00 shuttle but he had 2 seats left on his shuttle by letting Chuck sit up front in the seat next to the driver.

The traffic was heavy as usual but at least it kept moving and we didn’t have to take any detours like we did the last time coming back from the airport. We were back at the shuttle office by 5:30.

We were back home by 6:30 met, of course, by a displeased Pumpkin who looked like he had gained weight while we were gone. I think he conned our sitter into giving him more of his special snacks than is normally allowed. He is good at acting pitiful.

All in all, I would not call this cruise the “Perfect” Caribbean Escape like it was advertised but it was “Very Good” and I’m glad that we went. It’s time now to prepare for Thanksgiving and Christmas activities.

Next Up: A 2025 Birthday Cruise

Sea Days #6, #7, and #8

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 6-8, 2024

We now had several sea days in a row and our routine was pretty standard – pool/sun time, casino, show, talking with friends, eating, and then ultimately having to pack. I will just feature some highlights from the three days.

Today we received our disembarkation information and tags for Saturday. Today was also the last day to turn in any laundry we wanted done.

On the Lido deck, we were greeted by the Towel Animal invasion. I always enjoy the creations.

We also attended the Mariner’s Luncheon. It is a limited menu that comes with free champagne. The officers attend and the Captain thanks the passengers for their patronage. We haven’t seen this lunch offered on every cruise but it was nice for this cruise.

However, we usually receive our HAL commemorative tiles either at this luncheon or in the stateroom. Today, we got a note that said they had not received their inventory of tiles, but we could hold on to the note and ask for them on a future cruise.

I know some people were disappointed, but we have several of them and I don’t always take the ones that we are given so it was not a big deal for us.

Tile from a Previous Cruise

For this lunch, Chuck had the filet and I had the cod.

Chuck played in another poker tournament today and he was the winner. Fun time and some cash. Great combination.

Tonight was the Orange Party. It is held every cruise to honor the Dutch heritage of the Holland America line. People are encouraged to wear something orange and enjoy the festivities in the Rolling Stone Lounge.

Today’s highlights – a Lido restaurant event called “Cake Me Away” and the afternoon Crew Talent Show. I attended both events.

The pastry chefs create a number of colorful cakes. They set them out so people can take photos and then they open up the serving line for people to sample them.

Chuck and I had attended the Caribbean Brunch earlier today, so we were not in the mood for cake; however, I did get some photos. I probably should have gotten some cake to save for later, but the line was already getting long. They have been having this event on every cruise usually on a sea day. You just have to watch for it on the daily planner.

Later that afternoon, various crew members performed on the World Stage. The audience of passengers (and it was standing room only) were given ballots to vote for their favorite act.

Traditional Dance from her Country

I was very impressed with the talents of these crew members. With the little free time they have from their ship duties, they had to prepare, audition, and then rehearse during the cruise to be able to perform that day. The top three vote getters were announced at the evening show, and they won various cash prizes.

The six-member band won 1st place

The crew talent show is not available every cruise. You usually only find it on a three-week or longer cruise.

Tonight’s show on the World Stage was the Impressionist Karen Grainger performing “Lasting Impressions.” We have seen her on a previous cruise and enjoyed her performance. However, tonight I thought her impressions were just “okay.” I much preferred when she sang a song in her own voice.

As we entered the World Stage, there was a gauntlet of waiters dispensing various small chocolate treats. If you ate the cake and the chocolate treats today, you were definitely on a sugar high.

Today was packing day. 🙁 It was also saying good-bye and exchanging contact information with the people we enjoyed hanging out with on this trip. Three of the couples were disembarking tomorrow in Boston as were we. However, one couple was staying on for another 14 days as the Zuiderdam makes it way to Ft. Lauderdale.

Chuck had another successful poker session. He and another player were going back and forth vying for first or second place. Instead of dragging the game on into the evening, they agreed to split the pots, and both were happy.

We ended our last night by playing off the casino points we had accumulated during the 3 weeks, eating dinner in the Lido and dancing in the Rolling Stone Lounge.

Back to the room, three bags were tagged, locked, and pushed out into the hallway. We kept one with us to put the last things that we needed to store before we left the room for the final time in the morning.

Tomorrow: Disembarkation and Traveling Home

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Cruise and Travel Director Kimberly warned the audience prior to the show that because today is election day in that no alcohol would be sold to anyone today in San Juan, including cruise passengers who might want a drink with their meal on shore. Since there are people who use a shore day to try a local restaurant for its food and adult beverages, this news was not a welcome one.

She did say that the ship was not affected by the law and that the Zuiderdam bars would be open during normal hours.

Speaking of the election, people have been very civil during this cruise if the discussion turned to the topic. I have only been aware of a couple of times that conversations got heated. It’s been interesting to note that the passengers who seem to bring up the topic have been, for the most part, Canadian.

It was already raining when I went to get coffee so I knew it would be another ship day. If you haven’t guessed already, we really love ship days.

We skipped breakfast and went to the gym.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon reading on the balcony. Again, we were fortunate that the rain did not blow in.

We started the evening in the Billboard bar talking with our Las Vegas friends. They walked around Old San Juan. Said they had difficulty with the cobble stones but did enjoy the Fort.

After some time in the Casino, we met up with our friends from Texas and had dinner in the Canaletto. We thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. Chuck had the Ossobuco, and I had the shrimp and clams in spaghetti. We split the gelato again. Excellent meal and service.

We decided not to go to the second show of the saxophonist but instead stayed for all three sets of the Rolling Stone Lounge band before calling it a night.

Today was our last port. We now have 3 sea days in a row as we make our way back to Boston.

Photos of previous visits to San Juan:

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

Monday, November 4, 2024

As the weather was supposed to be partly sunny today, we had the intention of going off the ship later today and possibly taking a taxi to Maho Beach to watch the planes take off and land. It is a popular activity in Sint Maarten. However, we discovered that along with us were 4 very large ships in port today. Nope, no thank you. We’ll hang out here.

So, we started our morning with breakfast in the main dining room. The service was slow, but we were in no hurry. I had two poached eggs on avocado toast. Came with goat cheese salad and I asked for a side of bacon. Chuck had the scrambled eggs with cheese and corned beef hash and a hash brown patty.

We spent the day in and out of the pool enjoying the warm, partly sunny skies.

For the evening, we met our Las Vegas friends at the Billboard bar. They took a nice island tour as it was their first time here.

We played in the Casino when it opened and had a late dinner in the Lido. Chuck had a steak and I had some shrimp. I also got some cookies to take back to the room.

I have probably eaten my weight in these cookies this trip. They’re available at the ice cream station and have been soft and warm every time. That has not always been the case. I have had some in the past where I was afraid I would break a tooth they were so hard.

Two left before I thought to take a photo

We finished the evening with the second show of the comedian Jim Short. It was entitled “Have Baggage Will Travel.” We sat with our friends from Michigan. After the show was over, we were chatting with the couple and the comedian came up to talk. He was very pleasant and we told him how much we enjoyed both of his shows. He will be disembarking tomorrow and heading to Texas to visit with his parents. He said, after the holidays, he would be back performing on more cruise ships.

The Rolling Stone Band had the night off.

Tomorrow: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Photos of previous visits to Sint Maarten:

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis

Sunday, November 3, 2024

We had our last snorkeling excursion scheduled today, so we started the day with a room service breakfast. It was interesting to note that even though the United States observed the end of Daylight Savings Time, the ship’s time didn’t change because the islands don’t change.

We left the room at 9:00 a.m. to get off the ship and meet up with our tour operator. I was happy to finally see some golf carts in use for people who needed assistance walking down the pier.

The HAL tour description: St Kitts Snorkel Adventure – 3 hours

ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Enchanting, impressive and breathtaking — that’s a snorkel safari along the pristine Southeast Peninsula of St Kitts.

At Port Zante Marina, you will board a snorkel boat. Your snorkel stops will be at Shitten’s Bay and Ballast Bay — both teeming with tropical fish and coral life. Turtles, eagle rays, stingrays, schools of saltwater chub, snapper, angel, parrot fish, squirrel fish and sand sharks are usually seen.

Take time to explore the many virgin reefs and the extensive soft corals, fans and sponges that make up the reef life.

Notes: Non-alcoholic drinks and water are provided. Wear your swimsuit under your clothing; bring a towel, reef-safe/biodegradable sunscreen, light clothing to act as a full cover-up for further protection from the sun, and a hat. Swim at your own risk. Guests with a heart condition, epilepsy, diabetes or asthma are not allowed to participate. Waiver must be signed and medical conditions disclosed. Wildlife sightings are likely but are not guaranteed. All snorkel gear is provided. Life vests must be worn. Maximum weight is 300 lbs.

We’ve been on this snorkeling excursion twice before and always had a great experience. We were looking forward to today.

The tour operator walked us to the Marina where we boarded the snorkel boat. It was smaller than ones we have been on in the past. I noticed that the boat information focused on deep sea fishing and that they had two poles set up in the back so I don’t think snorkeling is its main purpose.

The sun was still out at the first snorkel stop and we had a pleasant 45 minutes there even though the water was not the clearest.

However, at the next stop, the water was extremely murky to the point you really couldn’t see the bottom. In fact, something popped the side of my head, and I never saw what it was. Very disconcerting.

Chuck and I quickly gave up and swam back to the boat. Soon, the clouds gathered, and the rain started coming down hard. I was already wet, but the rain stung so I crowded up under the awning with others who had abandoned the snorkeling. A few hardy souls stayed out in the water swimming around.

One woman (the same one who swam to the wrong boat in an earlier excursion) had another mishap today. As she was trying to climb the ladder back in the boat, she dropped one of her fins that she had borrowed from the tour company. It sank. A crew member tried to retrieve it, but the water was too murky to see where it went.

As we motored back to the ship, we were served so-so rum punch, and they didn’t play any music. One crew member took one of the poles and caught a fish. I assumed it would be his meal that evening since he didn’t throw it back.

Because the first stop was okay and the crew was professional, if not fun, I will be generous and call this excursion a tie. Our final snorkeling tally on the “great – meh – poor” scale: 1 – 2 – 2.

Back at the ship, we opted for a Dive-In lunch and then a nap.

We started our evening in the Casino and then went to enjoy our Pinnacle meal that was compliments of the Casino. We each had the filet mignon and lobster tail along with our usual appetizers. We took the cheese plate dessert back to the room.

Afterwards, we went to Antwan Towner’s second show “Thought Seer” which focused on his skill as a mentalist. We really enjoyed the show and some of his routines really made you go “how did he do that?”

We finished the evening dancing to the last set of the Rolling Stone Lounge Band.

Tomorrow: Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

Roseau, Dominica

Saturday, November 2, 2024

We start the last week of our three-week Caribbean Escape with coffee on the balcony. The forecast for today was for rain off and on. We have been here at least once before so a quiet day on ship was in our forecast.

Except for a Lido lunch, our day was spent on the balcony enjoying our books and watching the passengers hustle to and from the port during the breaks in the showers. Even it was raining, we were fortunate that it never blew in on us.

Our evening plans consisted of an early dinner with our friends from Ohio in the main dining room. We got there when the dining room opened, and I think the service was the fastest we’ve ever experienced. We were enjoying the conversation so much that I failed to get photos of the meal. I had the eggplant pasta dish. Chuck had the beef goulash.

The four of us then made our way to the World Stage to see the saxophonist Akos Laki and his show “Happy Latin Vibes.” Chuck and I have seen him before on another ship and really enjoyed that performance. He was just as excellent tonight.

After this show was over, we went to the Rolling Stone Lounge for one set of the Band. We finished up the evening in the Casino.

Tomorrow: Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis

Photos from a previous visit to Dominica:

Castries, St. Lucia

Friday, November 1, 2024

Even though our delivered daily program said Kimberly would be talking about what to do in Guadeloupe, another letter from the Captain about its political unrest meant that she would be discussing what to do in Roseau, Dominica instead. I had planned to attend the information on Guadeloupe as it was a new port for us. Oh well, maybe we’ll be back some day.

Today was another ship day for us. Chuck had a late night at the Casino, so he slept in. I spent the morning drinking coffee, reading on the balcony, and going to the gym.

Once I was back from the gym, he was ready to go to the pool. We enjoyed the passenger-free pool and a leisurely lunch at the Dive In.

Later that afternoon, we tried our luck at another trivia with the Canadian couple. The topic was History, another of Chuck’s favorites. Again, we lost by two points. We talked with the couple for a while after the game was over. It was soon time to get ready for the evening.

We had drinks with our friends from Las Vegas and then played in the Casino until it was time for our Pinnacle Grill dinner.

We had our usual appetizers – shrimp, crab cakes, and candied bacon. For our main items, I chose the lobster-stuffed pasta from the new menu and Chuck chose the short ribs from the regular menu. We skipped the dessert.

We went to the HAL Singers and Dancers show “Class Act.” It was probably the best show of theirs that we’ve seen in a long while.

We then went to two sets of the Rolling Stone Lounge Band and called it a night.

Tomorrow: Roseau, Dominica

Photos from previous visits to St. Lucia:

Bridgetown, Barbados

Thursday, October 31, 2024

Last night our stewards delivered this letter from the Captain advising us that the port of Martinique would be cancelled due to ongoing political unrest. Over the years, we’ve had several ports cancelled – usually because of inclement weather making it too difficult to dock. However, political issues have also kept us away.

Sometimes, the cruise line can find another port to substitute. Sometimes we just get an extra sea day. HAL is substituting Castries, St. Lucia which is a very nice island.

I always feel bad for people who take a cruise just to see one or two particular ports and then have them cancelled. They are very disappointed and feel cheated. I would recommend that if there’s a place you really want to see, you book a vacation direct to that destination. Cruising ports are never 100% guaranteed.

We had booked a HAL excursion to the botanical gardens. The cost of the excursion will be credited back to our account. If people had booked an excursion through a private organization, they will be responsible for contacting the vendor to let them know we would not be docking. Reputable vendors will refund the passenger’s money, but you have to read the fine print in their contract.

We have been to Barbados before, so we were having another day on the ship. It was already decorated for Halloween when I got up this morning to go get coffee.

The ship had a pumpkin carving contest among ship departments and the guests were encouraged to vote on their favorite. The guests were also encouraged to enter a door decorating contest and the costume contest. Chuck and I did not bring our costumes this year.

We both went to the gym and walked a mile around the Promenade. We went to the pool until it got cloudy and soon started to rain. That was our cue to go to the Lido for lunch.

We tried trivia for the first time this cruise. The topic was Geography which Chuck is knowledgeable. We were going to be a team of two but joined a Canadian couple with whom we’ve shared a table in the main dining room. We only missed two questions but there was a team of six (the max) who had a perfect score.

It was still raining so it was a perfect time for a nap until the evening activities.

The bars were decked out and featured spooky drinks.

In the spirit of the festivities, I tried the Green Monster. It was drinkable but I switched back to my go-to vodka/soda.

Eyeball created by cherry inserted into lychee fruit

We ate dinner in the Lido again tonight. They even labeled some of their food with Halloween names. One of my choices was the mummy (normally called a pig in a blanket). I also chose the stuffed bell pepper and some sweet and sour shrimp. Chuck also had the shrimp and some roast beef.

After dinner, we went to see the comedian Jim Short. His show was called “My Generation.” We enjoyed it. I would call it PG.

Next, we went to the Rolling Stone Lounge. Kimberly, the Cruise and Travel Director, led the Costume Parade through the Lounge. The Captain even got into it by dressing up as Elvis. He, Kimberly, and one other officer were the judges. After seeing all the contestants, I was sorry we hadn’t brought our costumes. We would have had a good chance of winning.

Kimberly also announced the winners of the pumpkin carving contest and the door decorating contest. Soon after the announcements were over, all the people who had signed up for the Bar Hop arrived and a very long conga line started. The Band kept on singing, the crew kept the drinks flowing, and the dance floor was packed with happy passengers.

We slipped out and took advantage of an almost empty casino to have our pick of machines.

Tomorrow: Castries, St. Lucia

Photos from previous Barbados visits:

Saint George, Grenada

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Because we had an early excursion, we started our day with a room service breakfast. It was soon time to gather our snorkel gear and head out to meet our tour operator. This was our first time in Grenada.

One thing I have noticed on this trip is that there have not been any shuttles, pedal carts, or golf carts to help people get from the ship to the port area. And some of these piers have been very long. With the heat and humidity we’ve had, I know it has been a struggle for some.

We plodded down the pier until we came to the Shore Excursion representative in the port area. He told us to wait over in the shade and a tour operator would be with us “shortly.” We watched a woman in a jacket, skirt and high heels try to get a very large group of HAL passengers organized to go on an island tour.

I don’t think all the busses or vans had arrived. They were also having trouble with their scanning equipment to scan the tour tickets. Our ship was the first one for Grenada for this cruising season and the tour operators just didn’t seem to have their act together.

To add to the confusion, the Calypso Band in the plaza was playing with great enthusiasm but not a great amount of talent. Loud does not always equal good.

The lady in the high heels (how she was able to negotiate that rough pavement on 3-inch heels, I’ll never know) finally came over to our group and lead us to our catamaran. More plodding. We were 30 minutes later leaving than our schedule indicated.

Our HAL tour description: Isle of Spice Snorkeling – 2.75 hours

ABOUT THE EXCURSION: Travel along Grenada’s picturesque coastline aboard Star Wind 5 — a spacious, 60-foot catamaran sloop designed and built specifically for day charters in these waters.

Your day begins with a short walk to the boat, just steps away from the cruise terminal. Hop aboard for a journey that will showcase the picturesque island and all the beauty that Grenada has to offer, above and below the water’s surface.

From historic St George’s Harbor, you will sail north along Grenada’s west coast to Molinere Sculpture Park. Spend some time snorkeling in the breathtaking underwater world of the Caribbean.

Further south is one of Grenada’s beautiful white-sand beaches, where you’ll swim or simply relax and enjoy paradise. Eventually, Star Wind 5 will make its way back to the port in St George’s.

Notes: Minimum age is 8 years. Beverages are provided throughout, including rum punch, fruit punch and soft drinks. The boat has a shade awning that covers roughly two-thirds of the boat while at anchor. You must walk in ankle-deep water to (dis)embark the boat. Wear aqua shoes. Wear your swimsuit under your clothing; bring a towel, reef-safe/biodegradable sunscreen, light clothing to act as a full cover-up for further protection from the sun, and a hat. Swim at your own risk. Snorkel and mask are provided. Do not drink alcohol before snorkeling. Guests with a heart condition, epilepsy, diabetes or asthma are not allowed to participate in snorkeling. Waiver must be signed and medical conditions disclosed.

There was plenty of seating on the catamaran. We saw many of the same faces that were on our Aruba snorkel excursion. I had hoped that the Captain would unfurl the sails but instead he just used the motor to take us to the sculpture park.

I was looking forward to seeing the underwater sculptures. I thought they would all be near where we entered the water. However, a crew member had to come in the water with us and lead the group around to the various sculptures which were scattered about in a large area. I am not fond of that type of snorkeling. I like to be able to snorkel at my own pace as long as I know where the boundaries are.

The water was warm but not very clear and very deep so, at times, it was hard to make out the sculptures. I believe divers would have a better experience. And, since I managed to jump in the water without my camera, you will just have to go to the official website and view its photos. They are much better than the ones I would have taken anyway.

What I didn’t see much of was fish. I’m sure they were swimming around the sculptures, but the water was just too deep and hazy to make them out.

Once we were back on the boat, we motored back past the ship to a nice beach area. During the ride to the beach, they served local beer and rum punch (made me wince so one was plenty). We spent the time like we did in Aruba – bobbing and talking. Once our time was up, it was a short ride back to the port area and more plodding back to the ship.

It was an okay excursion. They tried hard. I would call it a tie. Our snorkeling excursions to date: 1 – 1 – 2.

We were able to have a late Lido lunch and then a nap until it was time to get ready for the evening.

We met up with the couple from Las Vegas for pre-dinner drinks and to hear about their day. They were part of that large group that went on the Island Tour. Said it was hot and very hilly.

We opted to eat in the Lido tonight and we both went to the Asian section for our dinner. We both had the ribs and the shrimp masala. I had the noodles while Chuck chose the fried rice.

We played in the Casino and then went to the World Stage to see the Magician/Mentalist Antwan Towner show called “Evening of Curiosities.” We thought he was very good and funny.

We finished the night with two sets of the Rolling Stone Band.

Tomorrow: Barbados

Travel Trivia: Grenada

Grenada is known as the “Island of Spice” because it produces nutmeg and mace crops, as well as some other spice.

Origin of name: it is probable that the name Grenada comes from the Spanish city of Granada, which means “pomegranate.”

The Grenada dove, which is a critically endangered species, is the national bird of Grenada.

Grenada boasts the oldest functioning water-propelled distillery in the Caribbean – River Antoine Rum Distillery.

There is a lake in Grenada, Grand Etang, which is said to be a bottomless lake because nobody has been able to find its bottom with SONAR. The lake was formed over a dormant volcano.

Sea Day #5

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

After a breakfast in the Lido, we walked a mile around the Promenade. Then we spent the rest of the day in the pool or sunbathing only broken up by a late lunch in the Lido.

Our big event of the day was the Mariner Award Ceremony. People receive a medallion when they reach certain cruising milestones with Holland America. If you are a 5-star member, you get to attend these ceremonies even if you are not getting a medallion. We have attended several.

However, tonight we would not just be attending but would each be the recipient of a Silver Medallion. This Medallion signifies 300+ sailing days with Holland America. Yay!

We did think the time it was being held was kind of strange – 6:30 to 7:00 in the Crow’s Nest. Typically, the ceremony is held in the afternoon. However, the event planner has to work around the Captain’s schedule, so 6:30 it is.

Every person getting a medallion gets an official photo with the Captain and the Hotel Manager. We also took a photo with the Entertainment Director – Glenn and the Cruise and Travel Director – Kimberly.

The staff kept the wine glasses filled and the appetizers circulating. We had a very nice time chatting with a couple from the Netherlands. We’ll keep attending these ceremonies and eventually we’ll reach the Gold Medallion – 500+ sailing days.

Medallion display from a previous cruise

We wore our Medallions for the rest of the evening and were greeted and thanked by every crew member that we encountered. HAL does appreciate customer loyalty.

After the Ceremony was over, we went to the main dining room for dinner. I was surprised to find a menu that is typically only offered on dressy nights. I enjoyed the lamb chops and Chuck really enjoyed the filet mignon (he already took several bites before I could get a photo).

Tonight’s show on the World Stage was “All That!” performed by the HAL Singers and Dancers and we had seen it before. We opted to play in the Casino for a while and then call it an early night.

Tomorrow: Grenada