The main dining room was crowded tonight. We shared a table with a couple from Florida who were also doing the 21-day cruise. Good conversation. Chuck and I had the beef tenderloin with shrimp.
Again, we went both to the Rolling Stone Rock band set and the BB King set. Even more people than the night before.
Today was a lot like yesterday but at least I didn’t have to stand in any long lines – our refunds for the cancelled excursions were posted on our onboard account this morning.
After breakfast, Chuck and I browsed the small library on the ship. They had a nice collection of fiction and non-fiction books. There was even a book exchange section for guests to leave a book and/or take a book. Chuck got a paperback from this shelf. I still have a number of books on my Kindle to finish.
As we were walking back to our cabin, we noticed an inordinate number of security walking on the different decks, looking at their Ipads and scanning the crowds. They were also stationed at the elevators and stairs. We then heard the Cruise Director announce a person’s name and cabin number to call Guest Services. He made the announcement several times. Chuck and I agreed -“missing person.” We never found out if the person was located or not.
After another relaxing afternoon on the balcony, it was time to get ready for the evening.
We went to dinner in the main dining room tonight. I had the caprese salad and the haddock with clams and mussels. Chuck had the jerked pork. He said it was not spicy enough.
After dinner, we went to sets of both the Rolling Stone Rock Band and the BB King band. Fun night.
I got us coffee this morning from the Crow’s Nest and then we went to breakfast in the main dining room. (Sounds a lot like the first leg of this cruise – if it ain’t broken…)
After breakfast I stood in the long line at the Shore Excursions desk to check again about a refund for my two excursions that were cancelled. The answer – “Probably tomorrow.” My next visit may have to be Guest Services.
I then went to the Future Cruise Consultant’s desk. Fortunately, the line was short to talk with him. I got some information on the 2025 round trip Ft Lauderdale to the Amazon cruise.
Once those chores were done, I could concentrate on what to do with the rest of the day – art auction, trivia, bingo, tai chi? All fun activities, I am sure. Me? – I headed straight to the balcony with my book. Peaceful afternoon loving the sound of the ocean. Chuck enjoyed the camaraderie of the poker table. It was soon time for another dressy night.
We decided to eat in the Lido tonight and we each had the strip loin. Very good meal. After the meal, we played blackjack for a long time before calling it a night.
The piece of fruit is called Dragon Fruit
When we got back to the cabin there was a note letting us know that the ship balconies would be washed while in port and they may have to have access to our room. No problem. We’ll be on a tour.
We were up at 6:00 and ate breakfast in the Lido at 6:30. It wasn’t as busy as I expected. From the Lido, I counted 4 other ships in dock with us including the HAL Volendam that had arrived today from its 2 month roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale – Grand South America and Antarctica cruise. If we ever get to go back to Antarctica, this cruise is the one I want to do.
We disembarked the ship at 7:30. We had our passport, ship card, and in-transit card that was supposed to allow us to bypass some lines when we come back.
We had to go through Customs. We were able to use the facial recognition system so were approved to bypass the officials. We came out of the terminal at the taxi area. We had to go around the corner to find our tour operator.
Our HAL tour today was called “Everglades Airboat Ride” and the tour description: “The Florida Everglades is an expanse of swampland known for natural beauty and abundant wildlife. Your tour includes a half-hour airboat ride into this vast wilderness. Birds, fish and other animals inhabit this curious corner of the country.
After the airboat ride, take a tour of the reptile exhibit. You will see the notorious Everglades alligator and other creatures that call Florida home. At the endangered-species exhibit — you may even be lucky enough to see the rare Florida panther.
Notes: This tour is available only to guests who are returning to the ship.”
I’ve been confused about this tour because the Navigator app said that we would be going to the Ft. Lauderdale and Miami airport after the tour. I told Chuck that we had to be sure that the tour was coming back to the port.
In reality, the tour operator had three different busses for the tours – one bus for people on the tour and then going to the Miami airport; one bus for people going on the tour and then going to the Ft. Lauderdale airport; and then one bus for people coming back to the port (us). I was happy that we would not have to do any airport runs before coming back.
We were supposed to leave at 8:30 but we didn’t leave until 8:45.
The bus was air conditioned and comfortable. However, the mic didn’t work so it was a little hard to hear the guide. She did her best to talk loud enough about the Ft. Lauderdale area, but we could only catch a few words every now and then.
It didn’t take very long to reach the Everglades Holiday Park. Unfortunately, all the HAL busses seemed to arrive together plus busses from other tour companies and independent travelers. Restroom lines were very long and the park was crowded.
We got in line for the airboat ride. There were a lot of airboats, and we were quickly ushered into one. I wasn’t sure if anyone else from our group was even on the same airboat, but I finally recognized another person. The captain was knowledgeable about the area and was good about spotting the alligators. The ride was very loud when he went fast. I was glad I had brought us some ear plugs. The ride was about an hour.
Once we exited the airboat, we found our tour operator and she directed us to the Gator demonstration. It was a demonstration by an original “Gator Boy” of the same series. He gave us a lot of good jokes and information. I didn’t remember the series, but Chuck said he did. The guy has a You Tube channel now.
Once we exited the demonstration, we were in line for a photo of us holding a baby gator. The cost of the photo was included in the tour package. We saw some rescued tortoises, raccoons, snakes, and foxes – no panthers.
We arrived back to the ship at noon. There was no dedicated security line for in-transit people. We were in line with all the new embarking guests which was moving very slowly – frustrating. Once we cleared security, the only direction we were given was “go around.” We took that direction to mean don’t stop at the check-in desks. When we finally made it to the escalator up to the ship, it wasn’t working. Our choices were to either take the elevator or walk up the steps. Since we weren’t carrying luggage, we chose the steps.
The Lido was crowded so we went to the Dive-In to order a hamburger. They are very good burgers, hot dogs, bratwurst, and chicken sandwiches. They have “Beyond Meat” available also.
We were supposed to leave the port at 3:00. However, three of the other ships set said before us and we didn’t leave until after 5:00.
Time for the first evening of the second leg of this 21-day cruise.
We received our paperwork regarding the next leg of this cruise and going ashore in Ft. Lauderdale. All the paperwork said that if you were an in-transit guest, you could leave the ship anytime starting at 7:30. Just be sure to bring your in-transit cards, ship card, and passports. However, the paperwork didn’t address what to do if you were taking a Holland America tour that day. The Navigator app wasn’t much help either. Just said meet outside at 8:00. Hoping to receive more information.
We went to see our photos from the premium photo session we had. He showed us a beautiful photo book of our pictures. They were excellent. I knew it would be expensive but $1000? I nearly choked. We ended up with three 8 x 10’s for a more reasonable cost. They are wonderful photos but just know that the packages start at $1000 and go up from there. If we had known that pricing beforehand, we would not even have agreed to a session. Live and learn.
We went to the Sea View deck for the sail away. We left port at 5:30.
Our reservation at the Canaletto, the Italian upcharge restaurant, was at 7:00 so we played some slots until then. We were surprised to see that the menu was new. Now you can get their most popular items – ossobuco, chicken parmigiana, and beef short ribs – any day of the week instead of trying to make a reservation to get them when they were the “special of the day.” I did notice they had dropped the langostino soup and the caprese salad which were popular appetizers.
Tonight, I had the grilled shrimp appetizer and the spaghetti with shrimp and clams. Chuck had the veal meatballs and the ossobuco. They still offered the bread with dipping sauces and gelato for dessert.
After dinner, we went to BB King lounge to get a seat for the Orange Party. Before the party, the entertainment staff hosted Music trivia – guests against ship officers. The theme was 80’s music – title and artist. One team of guests got 30 points so the guests won.
Now it was time for the Orange Party. This party is usually held once per cruise in honor of Holland America’s Dutch Heritage and orange is the color of the royal family. Everyone is encouraged to wear something orange. The bars feature Dutch beers and drinks and waiters may come around with Dutch appetizers.
Once the party started, we realized we had chosen our seats poorly. We thought it would be great to be right by dance floor. However, as soon as the music started people flooded to the floor. Also, the HAL Kid’s Club attendants brought the children in their care to dance so that added another layer of excitement.
The dance area got so crowded that people were basically just hopping up and down or swaying where they stood. After getting our toes stepped on while sitting there, it was time to leave and call it a night. If they have a party on the next leg of this cruise, we’ll either skip it or find better seats.
There was a lot of ship motion last night and still continued this morning – so much that I had to take a Bonine. I usually don’t have to have one in the Caribbean. Must have been a storm somewhere causing all that wave action.
After breakfast, I went to a presentation in the main show room about the behind the scenes of a cruise ship. Aptly named “A City on the Sea“. The Cruise Director would bring out different officers to talk about their jobs while showing images of the places on the ships that guests don’t get to see. It was interesting.
Next, I picked up our photos from the premium session. They turned out really well. When I got back to the room, the stewards had delivered the Holland America tiles that are a thank you gift for sailing. They usually show a design of the ship that you are on. The ones we got today were made in honor of Holland America’s 150th Anniversary of their first sailing.
Then I played some slots with Chuck and finished up the afternoon relaxing on the balcony. I was happy that I wasn’t having to pack.
Before we left the cabin, I got another load of laundry ready to send out.
We had decided that salads from the Lido would be our dinners tonight.
Once we finished, we went to the first set of the Rolling Stone Rock Band. We then went to the BB King lounge to get a seat for the comedian – Quincy Carr – who was pretty good.
To pass the time until Quincy’s show, the DJ took music requests from the waiting passengers because the BB King band had the night off. I was surprised that the DJ didn’t have Uptown Funk on his playlist. Guess he didn’t think grey-haired people wanted to dance to it. He said he had plenty of Elvis. Sigh.
Since we had no plans for tomorrow, we went to last set of Rolling Stone Rock Band and danced to some of the songs.
Slept to 8:30. Just can’t recover from those late nights as easily as I used to do. We were already docked right next to the Carnival Mardi Gras again. Today, it was blocking almost the entire view of the island from the balcony. It was an overcast day on the cool side. I was glad we hadn’t planned to snorkel.
We’ve enjoyed various activities at Grand Turk before: an island tour, a couple of snorkeling tours, and some time spent at Jack’s Shack with the late great Topher, the best beach dog ever.
Today we were going to enjoy an empty ship.
We missed the breakfast hours for both the main dining room and the Lido. The horror! – Oh wait, this is a cruise ship. Food will be found.
Our choices were room service or a lite breakfast at the New York Deli. We chose the Deli.
We decided to walk the promenade after breakfast. We only managed one lap. The maintenance people were varnishing the railings and that smell mixed with the dead fish smell from the dock area was nauseating.
We went up to the sports deck where the breeze was better and tried out some of the outside workout machines. Then we decided to play some shuffleboard. Neither of us were ready for the prime time but eventually Chuck won the match.
The sun came out somewhat so we spent the rest of our time on the Sea View deck until it was time to get ready for the evening.
Travel Trivia
Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos
Grand Turk is the Capital of the Islands of Turks and Caicos. It was first colonized in 1681 by Bermudians, who set up the salt industry in the islands and in 1766 it became the capital of the country.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are named after the Turk’s Cap Cactus. This species of cactus found on the island, has a distinctive cap, reminiscent of an Ottoman fez. They are native to the Caribbean, western Mexico through Central America to northern South America, with some species along the Andes down to southern Peru, and a concentration of species in northeastern Brazil.
Google photo
Grand Turk Lighthouse and Keeper’s House are Historic Sites. The 60-foot-tall lighthouse structure, overlooking North Creek, was completed by British architect Alexander Gordon in 1852 to alert sailors of the shallow reef. It was constructed in the United Kingdom, and shipped in pieces to the island.
The U.S. Dollar is the Official Currency of Turks and Caicos which is interesting considering that the islands are British.
Between January through April each year, Caribbean humpback whales migrate through the Turks head passage in the Turks and Caicos Islands as they travel from the northern waters of Canada’s Bay of Fundy to the Silver Bank off the Dominican Republic where they mate and give birth.
In 1962, John Glenn’s Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft landed in the vicinity of Grand Turk Island off the southeast shoreline. A replica of the Friendship 7 is on display in Grand Turk at the entrance to the Grand Turk Island airport.
Turks and Caicos cuisine is based primarily around seafood, especially conch (pronounced ‘conk’), a large mollusk farmed for its meat and shell. Conch fritters and conch salad are two common dishes.
We started our day with a 6:30 room service breakfast. We had another independent tour scheduled that I found through the same Shore Excursions website as the Curacao tour. We’ve been to the Dominican Republic once before but went snorkeling that day. Today we were taking an island tour.
The name of our tour today: Explore the Best of Puerto Plata. The description of the tour: On this Puerto Plata shore excursion, you will ascend to 2,555 feet above sea-level to the summit of Mount Isabel de Torres.
Mount Isabela is Puerto Plata’s most impressive geographic feature towering above the city, which will delight you with panoramic views of Puerto Plata from its flat-topped peak. Once at the top, you will have the opportunity to explore the beautiful gardens, see a representation of a typical countryside house or “casa tipica,” take photos of the Christ the Redeemer Statue (a smaller version of the one in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), and enjoy the views of Puerto Plata and the Atlantic Ocean.
After your time at the summit, you will take the cable car ride down the mountain for amazing views and then meet your transportation for the drive through the city to Fort San Felipe, home to a historic Spanish fortress built in 1577 to protect the city of Puerto Plata from pirates and other enemies. Here at Puerto Plata’s oldest surviving structure, you will enjoy a fully narrated tour around the grounds of the fort. It is located on a hill at the Puntilla Del Malecon, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean; its strategic location protected the entrance to the city’s seaport. The construction of the fort was commissioned by King Felipe II of Spain in 1564, and it was completed in 1577 by Don Rengifo de Angulo, the fort’s mayor.
Next, you will make your way to Parque Independencia where your guide will provide you with interesting information regarding the Victorian architecture. The Parque de la Independencia was the first park in the city and its origin lies in four public squares at the intersection of two then newly opened large boulevards, Santafesino and Argentino, the four-part plaza was named Independencia. You will enter the Cathedral as well as have some free time in the Victorian square before returning to your cruise ship.
Please Note: The order of tour may vary depending upon ship’s arrival time. A van or bus descent from the Mt. Isabela summit may be substituted for the cable car in the event of high winds or poor weather conditions.
Walked off the ship at 8:00 just before Carnival Mardi Gras pulled in next to our ship. Once a ship docks, any other ship has to stop allowing people off until the cables are secured to ensure that nobody gets hurt if a cable snaps.
The brochure made it sound that the walk from the port to the meeting point would be brief. It was not. There were a number of tour operators, but it took a while to find ours. I was getting discouraged. We finally found him at the end of the long vendor line. He brought us to the van where another couple was already seated. The other passengers eventually came trickling in (each talking about the long walk). We left on the tour at 9:15.
Our guide’s name was Alex. He was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic.
In the town of Puerto Plata, the streets were very narrow, and the traffic was crazy. Horns blaring. Motorbikes were zipping everywhere – most with nobody wearing helmets. Alex says the locals don’t get into accidents – the tourists who rent motorbikes for the day usually do.
Our first stop was Mount Isabela. The gardens were lovely.
The next stop was the Christ the Reedemer statue. The views from the top were very hazy. Alex cautioned us not to accept an offer from someone who said he/she would take our picture in front of the statue. We would not get our camera back until we paid a generous “tip.”
We were able to ride the cable car down from the mountain, but we had a 30-minute wait until a car was available in order for us to all to ride down as a group.
We went to Fort San Felipe by the ocean. There were a number of vendors here and Chuck bought me a delicate pale blue necklace and earrings.
We worked our way back to the town and stopped at Independence Park. The Catholic Church here was two centuries old.
Two streets off of the park were very interesting – The Umbrella Street and the Pink Street.
There were more vendors here, and you could get your photo taken with monkeys, parrots, and donkeys. With 5 ships in port today, I hope all the vendors did well.
On our way back to the port, we passed the Neptune statue who watches over the island.
I enjoyed the tour but again the van seating was very tight. There was a lot of walking that you had to do, and the heat and humidity were just draining. Alex did provide bottled water and we drank a lot of it. I had also brought our cooling towels to wear around our necks (or on your head). Once they start getting warm, you can snap them, and they get cool again. I don’t know the chemistry behind it, but I am just glad they work.
Once we were back on board, we decided to eat a late lunch in the Grand Dutch Cafe. We each had the hot ham and cheese sandwich and some Dutch pea soup. The food here is complimentary but the alcoholic drinks, coffees and the sodas have a charge. Many people come here for the excellent desserts. They serve hot Dutch appetizers like bitterballen each day beginning at 4:30.
Chuck’s ear had been bothering him for a couple of days. He decided to pay a visit to the ship’s doctor. Luckily, there was no infection. But his ear canal was swollen, and his ear had fluid in it. He was given some drops and pain meds. No swimming for a few days. We need to get him some of those wax ear plugs. The visit cost was applied to our onboard account, and I’ll submit the bill for reimbursement to our travel insurance company when we return home.
Travel Trivia
Amber Cove, (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic
Amber Cove is the Carnival Cruise line cruise terminal in the Puerto Plata (Silver Port) province. Contains shops, restaurants, and activities.
Puerto Plata is the largest city on the northern seaboard and is considered the birthplace of tourism in the Dominican Republic.
Christopher Columbus, in his first trip, called the mountain Monte de Plata, observing that since the top is frequently foggy it had a silver-like appearance, hence the name of the town.
The city was designed by the brothers Christopher and Bartolomé Columbus, in 1496.
In 1863, during the Dominican Restoration War, the city was razed completely. Beginning in 1865, the current Puerto Plata began to be built. This explains the Victorian style of much of its current architecture.
In 1996, Birgenair Flight 301 crashed near Puerto Plata, killing all 189 people on board.
Huascar Ynoa (b. 1998), pitcher for the Atlanta Braves was born in Puerto Plata province.
A couple of days ago, we had been notified by Arnold, the event planner, that Captain Timmers would be available tonight to perform the vow renewal ceremony. We were to arrive at the Crow’s Nest by 6:20 and the ceremony would start at 6:30. There was one other couple who would be renewing their vows for their 20th anniversary.
We got there at 6:15 to find one corner of the Crow’s Nest roped off and decorated.
Arnold was there to meet us and give us our boutonniere and wrist corsage. The other couple showed up soon after.
Captain Timmers arrived with the photographer at 6:30. We chatted a while and then it was time for the ceremony. Chuck and I went first. The Captain said a few words and then we faced each other and repeated the following vows:
I stand once again before you / to renew our vows of marriage. / I promise to be strong in my love, / gentle in my care, / and unwavering in my trust. / In the name of all we have created together, / and all we are yet to become. / I offer you my hand / as your partner / lifetime friend / and companion.
Once we had said the vows, the Captain said:
With these words, I, Captain Werner Timmers, as the Master of the MS Rotterdam, wish you all the joy and peace which only love can bring, and may it be yours today and in all life’s tomorrows.
I have to admit we both choked up a little during the vows. I was able to compose myself while the other couple said their vows.
Passengers who happened to be in the Crow’s Nest did watch the ceremony, but they were respectful and kept the noise level down. They did clap after both couples finished which was a nice gesture. A number of people approached us later and said how nice it was and they would consider it in the future.
After the ceremony, each couple received a cake – chocolate and raspberry. We cut the cake and had a piece, along with hors d’oeuvres, and champagne.
The Captain made some more small talk with us, gave us our certificate, and then ended the evening with the following toast:
Here’s to good ships / And wood ships / and ships that sail the seas. / But the best ships are / Relationships / and may yours always be.
We followed the photographer to the premium photo shop and had some more photos taken. Then, we went to the main dining room for a late dinner. We each had the shrimp cocktail and a salad. I had the trout and Chuck had the beef tenderloin with grilled shrimp.
When we got back to the room, the rest of the cake had been delivered. We had to cut it up to get it to fit in the small refrigerator.
We were really pleased with the ceremony, and I would encourage anyone who is cruising on a Holland America ship during their anniversary to purchase this package. In my opinion, it was well worth the cost.
After the very late lunch/very early dinner from the Deli, we relaxed on the balcony and then got ready for our evening. We spent some time enjoying the scenery from the Sea View deck.
Since sailaway was not until 8:00, we went to the BB King lounge and watched the last of some audience participation games. Doing that allowed us to get a good seat for the first show of the BB King band. We recognized Travis, the male lead singer, from our South Pacific cruise. He only sang one song this set. He had to leave to participate in the main stage show – In Tandem – that we had seen before.
The band was good and we danced to two songs, but they drag out each song which is annoying. If they wouldn’t, they could sing more songs in a set and maybe not tire out the dancers.
Once that set was over, we went to the Casino and it was packed. Pent up demand since people hadn’t been able to play much the previous two days because of such long port times. We didn’t stay long as it was just too crowded.
We discussed getting some late night pizza because we had skipped dinner but decided we weren’t hungry enough for it. We read for a while on the balcony until it started to rain. Good time to call it a night.
Slept until 8:00 again. Still not used to the clock moving forward. Even though the balcony was still a little wet from the rain, the morning was partly sunny with a nice breeze. Nice place to enjoy our coffee from the Crow’s Nest.
It was so pleasant being on the balcony that we missed being able to eat breakfast in the main dining room. We made our way to the Lido and I was pleasantly surprised that we didn’t have trouble finding a table. There were lines at the buffet stations of course, but they moved quickly.
I didn’t even try to get a lounge chair on the Sea View deck or the Lido deck. We walked 1.5 miles around the promenade. We played some slots. When Chuck decided to play some cards, I got some gelato and went back to our balcony to enjoy the sound of the waves and read.
As usual on a sea day, the time passed quickly and it was soon time for the second dressy night of the cruise but most importantly – it was time to get ready for our renewal of vows.
We were ready by 6:00 so we were going to go the Pinnacle Grill bar before our dinner reservation at 7:00. We should have looked at the ship map – there is no Pinnacle Grill bar on the Rotterdam. The Ocean Bar is directly across from the Pinnacle Grill, so we went there.
The Pinnacle Grill restaurant is available on all of the Holland America ships. I had the shrimp cocktail, surf and turf, and asparagus. Chuck had the crab cakes, beef tenderloin with lobster dumplings. We had to skip dessert as we were just too full. As always, the meal was fabulous.
We went to the BB King lounge to listen to the band and dance but there were no seats available. However, we did see Wasama – our favorite waitress from our South Pacific cruise on the Zuiderdam. She was the one who recognized us first. We were so surprised. She said she would be on the Rotterdam until the first of September.
We were able to dance one dance in the Rock and Roll lounge. We then went to another show of the Alans in Cahoots on the main stage. We both said that the magic routine was more entertaining than the mentalist part tonight. It was getting late, and we had a snorkeling excursion in Bonaire so we called it a night.
We had another room service breakfast. I got our gear ready for our day of snorkeling.
We took a HAL tour called the No-Name Beach Water-Taxi. The brochure description is “There is no better way to visit Klein Bonaire (Little Bonaire) than by water taxi.
Enjoy a relaxed and quiet boat ride to the famous shores of No-Name Beach on Klein Bonaire, just 30 minutes away.
The water taxi is equipped with an easy on/off ramp that lowers directly onto the sand making it ideal for all ages.
This uninhabited island is a protected area and one of the most important turtle nesting grounds in the Caribbean region. With its long sandy white beach it is ideal for swimming, sunning and beachcombing.
Snorkel in the world famous Bonaire Marine Park and take in the abundance of fish life and corals and, if you are lucky, you may spot a turtle.
Notes: If you wish to snorkel, bring your own equipment or you can rent it on board the water taxi. (Limited number of sets available for rent.) No snorkel or swim guide is provided. One soft drink per person will be served on Klein Bonaire. Wear your swimsuit under your clothing; bring a towel, sunscreen and a hat. Shade is limited; please dress accordingly. There are no restrooms on the island.
We have taken 2 catamaran snorkeling tours before in Bonaire. We always talked about taking a water taxi to the small island nearby to do a drift snorkel. You can find the water taxi place in town and go over there at your leisure. However, this tour picked us up right at the Rotterdam, so I thought that was a good compromise- go to the island but no hassle finding the water taxi in town.
Thought they would drop us off and come back at 2:00 to get us. Description said we would get a soft drink. I was a little concerned about leaving our stuff while we were snorkeling because the island is a national park open to anyone.
But 2 members of the water taxi company stayed on the beach at one of the two huts, and everyone left their stuff there. We were directed to walk along the shoreline to the point that you could get in to snorkel at the best reef point.
It was a difficult walk to get to the entry point. The path started out fine with hard packed sand. But eventually it became very rocky and slippery. The tide was coming in, so you had to brace yourself as the water rushed around your ankles. Then you could take a few steps before it came back. You did not want to step off the rocks and twist an ankle. You also did not want to cut your feet on the broken shells.
I had hoped to walk the path several times to do drift snorkels while we were there. But I was happy to make it the first time unscathed, so I didn’t press my luck with any more.
The snorkel drift was slow and easy not taking much swimming effort. I think I would have been better off if I had just worn my swim shoes and left my fins at the hut. The drift current was enough that I didn’t really have to use the fins to get me from Point A to Point B.
There were a lot of fish to see. However, I thought the reef looked rough. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bonaire doesn’t shut down the park to help the reef.
Instead of doing another drift, we just bobbed around in the water at the beach. The beach area was very nice, but it had a sharp drop-off into the water. Made it difficult climbing back up to the beach. There were several people that fell over in the waves and rolled around in the sand before they could crawl up on the beach (unfortunately, me included – it wasn’t pretty).
Before the fall. I managed to hang on to the hat and glasses.
We were served one glass of our choice of Rum punch or fruit juice. They also had plenty of water available. At 2:00, our water taxi was back, and I was anxious to get the salt and sand washed off with a nice cool shower.
By the time we got back to the ship and got the sand rinsed off of us, the Lido was closed so we went to the New York Deli and Pizza place for a sandwich.
I’m glad that we finally got to go over to Klein Bonaire, but I don’t think we will snorkel over there again if we ever come back. I’d rather do another catamaran snorkel.
Travel Trivia
Kralendijk, Bonaire
Kralendijk is an alteration of the Dutch word Koralendijk, which means “coral dike.”
Fort Oranje was built in 1639 to defend Bonaire’s main harbor.
On May 10, 1940, 461 Dutch and German citizens were transported to Bonaire and interned in a camp just south of the fort. After World War II, this camp was converted into a hotel, which is now the Divi Bonaire.
The town of Kralendijk is a result of a merger of five villages: Antriol (Entrejol), Nikiboko, Noord Saliña, Playa, and Tera Kora.
Windsock Beach lies at the western end of the landing strip of the Flamingo International Airport.
Our dinner reservation was at 7:00. On this cruise, we purchased the Have It All package which included one meal at each of the upcharge restaurants. Tonight, we were going to the Tamarind. This restaurant is not available on all of the Holland America ships but is available on the Rotterdam.
We arrived at about 6:15 so we could go to the Tamarind bar first. You don’t have to have dinner there to enjoy drinks at the bar but typically we don’t think to go there. Being on the 10th floor, it is off the beaten path, but they draw customers as they have the Martini hour at this bar most every day at 5:00.
Artwork outside of the Tamarind
Tonight, I had their wasabi cocktail – sake, lychee liqueur, sour mix, agave syrup, and orange juice – in a martini glass. It is served with a peeled lychee stuffed with wasabi. You are supposed to nibble on the wasabi and then drink the sweet drink. Blends spicy with sweet and I really liked it.
We thought the meal was wonderful. It began with shrimp crackers and three different sauces – mild to spicy. I had the Mongolian barbecued lamb chops and Chuck had the wasabi and soy crusted tenderloin. We shared the Jasmine rice, spicy coconut eggplant, and mushrooms in oyster sauce. We also shared the Yuzu cheesecake and a pot of hot tea.
We enjoyed talking with our waitress. She is from Thailand and was a hospitality and linguistics major in college. She is getting more hospitality experience working in the cruise industry and hopes to eventually land a management position in a high-end hotel/conference center somewhere. She was a very personable young woman and I feel certain she will do just that.
We don’t usually have an opportunity to talk much with the wait staff in any of the restaurants because they are busy moving from table to table making sure everyone is getting served promptly and correctly. She said tonight was the first night that the restaurant has not been extremely busy. Assumed a number of guests were eating at a restaurant in Aruba. Glad we could have a conversation with her.
We had an early tour scheduled in Curaçao, so we decided to spend a little time on the balcony watching the lights of Aruba before saying goodnight. We never heard the ship leave the dock.
Though we have been to Curacao several times we have either snorkeled or just walked around the port area. We had never had time to see the west side of the island. Since we were here until 11:00 pm, we decided that a full day tour would work out well.
Our tour today was an independent one called Curacao: East & West – A Complete Island Tour booked thru Shoreexcursions.com. We have booked tours with this company before and had good results. The description was “Curacao offers travelers many great sightseeing opportunities, but it can be difficult to squeeze everything into a single day. Not on this Curacao tour! On this Curacao east & west complete island excursion, you’ll visit both sides of the island for a comprehensive island experience. Don’t miss this chance!
The east & west complete island excursion will provide a unique glimpse into island life. The east side is where you’ll find most of the attractions. During your time on the east side of Curacao, you’ll make a stop at many island highlights including Curacao Liquor Factory and Queen Juliana Bridge. The factory produces the namesake liquor that comes from the Lahara fruit; it’s a popular ingredient in cocktails like margaritas and mai tais. Queen Juliana Bridge is the highest bridge in the Caribbean and gets its name from the notable Netherlands Queen.
The west side of the island features some of the island’s most beautiful natural landmarks. You’ll find gorgeous landscapes galore as well as charming little villages. Among the sights you’ll see on this side of the island are Boca Tabla Cave and Knip Bay. If your time is short in Curacao and you want to see it all, book your Curacao sightseeing tour now. Sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended for this tour. Food and drinks are not included.“
Since we had the early excursion, we opted to order a room service breakfast. They brought it on time and the order was correct. Room service breakfast is a popular option as I hear the carts rattle up and down the hall every morning.
The website provided excellent directions and we had no trouble finding our meeting spot with the tour representative. The van was a little late, but we left around 9:15. Most people on the tour were from the ship but 3 of our fellow travelers were from hotels in the area. Our guide’s name was Irving. He was also the driver. He was both funny and informative.
We started with the east side – closest to the ship and the floating bridge. This is the area that we were already familiar. Government buildings, lots of shopping places, parks, and artwork.
As we headed to the west side, we stopped at the Curacao distillery and were allowed to try three different Curacao liqueurs. Chuck and I agreed that the chocolate one was the best. We opted to buy and share a large drink of it over ice. Other people bought bottles to take back but we didn’t want to have to pack them for flying.
Can never resist a cat photo opportunity.
Our next stop was a small Dutch restaurant. It had a very limited menu and only took cash – US or Euros only. You didn’t have to eat here, but it was the only place around. I’m glad we did because the only other place we stopped that had food available was a place near the beach and it only had food trucks. I didn’t like the looks of those trucks and the smell from the fish being caught near there was off-putting too.
At this restaurant, we each had two Heinekin beers and a sandwich. Everything was good.
He took us to see the lava rocks and the Boca Tabla Cave area. Stopped at a couple of beaches. Many locals out enjoying a nice Sunday afternoon. We saw a couple of sea turtles. Later we saw some flamingos.
Waiting for the fish scraps
We got back to the ship around 3:15. It was a pleasant day, and I would recommend this tour.
Just some things to be aware – It was not real easy getting in and out of the van. Big step up and down to get in and out of the van. The seats were tight, so you were very close to your other traveling companions – wear deodorant, please. Except for the main road, all other roads on the island we drove on were rough and jarring. Really needed work. Wear good shoes as some of the walks were on uneven ground and more than one person tripped in their sandals/flip flops. Luckily, nobody fell down.
When we got back to the cabin, we discovered that the Casino had sent Chuck some chocolate covered strawberries as a thank you for his casino play. Nice gesture.
We were able to relax a while at the Sea View bar, but it was soon time to get ready for our Pinnacle Grill meal that was part of our vow renewal package.
Flowers of Curacao
Travel Trivia
Willemstad, Curacao
Willemstad, with its unique architecture and harbor entry, has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It is home to the Curaçao synagogue, the oldest surviving synagogue in the Americas.
Willemstad’s harbor is one of the largest oil handling ports in the Caribbean.
Major League Baseball players Jair Jurrjens, Wladimir Balentien, Jurickson Profar, Andruw Jones, Ozzie Albies, Kenley Jansen and Jonathan Schoop are from Willemstad.
