Monday, March 10, 2014
LEAVING A JEWEL BEHIND US and THE BANANA LADY
Enjoyed a final buffet breakfast this AM in the open air
dining area on Deck 11 at the stern of the ship. Lox and bagel with another bowl of granola
mixed with chopped figs and dried apricots… delicious. I am planning on a Jets BBQ Chicken pizza this
evening in Brownstown , MI
Disembarkation couldn’t have gone smoother. Luggage was much more organized in the
Terminal than what I have experienced on other cruises. Smaller groupings I’m sure
contributed to this. Carnival Cruise
Line could take a lesson here. We were
in no hurry to catch our flight out of San
Juan ; however, if you are in a hurry, for a few
dollars, let one of the porters assist you with your luggage. The line for porters is much smaller and
moves significantly faster.
You would think that standing in line waiting to get cleared
through U.S. Customs would be boring.
Oh, no. Even there we found
ourselves close to the action…
A U.S. Customs Agent was quickly walking his K-9 partner
past the waiting lines of people and their luggage. The dog, a beagle, was happily sniffing at
every piece of luggage just hoping to pick up the scent of some forbidden contraband. When suddenly there was a bit of excitement just
3 people in front of me. I noticed the
dog, his tail wagging, was up on his hind legs, fore legs on top of a stack of the
luggage of a middle-aged woman.
“Ma’am, I am going to need to look in your bags. Do you have any agriculture products? Any
fruit or vegetables?”
Nervously, she replied, “Well… No… I don’t think so. Wait.
Yes. I have a banana.”
I have to wonder how many times does a person have to be told? “NO FRUIT OR VEGETABLES.” Don’t take fresh fruit from the Windjammer Buffet and think that you won't get caught. I mean... really... do you honestly think it is fair to "pocket" food from the ship for you to eat on your way home. C'mon, lady.
Well... what is the moral to this story? The dog got his treat.
Banana lady ate her banana. And America is safe
from foreign bugs. But we are not safe from stupid people.
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| GOOD BYE, SAN JUAN |
Sunday, March 9, 2014
SUGGESTIONS
O.K. It is now time
for my suggestions; my “Improvements Needed” list. Please note that this is not a “List of
Complaints”. They are simply suggestions
that I think might have made our time on the Jewel just a bit nicer.
Iced Tea!!! I want
more convenient access to Iced Tea and Lemonade. This is the same suggestion that I would make
to Carnival Cruise Lines. I do not
understand why keeping guests hydrated isn’t more of a concern.
Offer “Dance Lessons” every day. The only dance lessons were Argentine Tango
lessons; 30 minutes – one time only.
Cruise Ships pay some very well trained and experienced dancers to
entertain guests on board. That is a lot
of “talent” going to waste. Why not have
those individuals provide “lessons” each afternoon? And then have a “Party” each night for couple
to put into practice what they learned earlier in the day.
There is a quiet renaissance taking place in America. Ballroom dancing is happening. And not just among us Boomers. There is a great interest coming from those
young kids – those in their late 20’s and early 30’s. Dance studios all across America are open for
business. Party nights are packed with
couples enjoying dancing. Cruise Lines
take note: The first Cruise Line to this party will win.
It would be nice to “jazz” up the morning breakfast buffet
in the Windjammer. At least one side of
just one the several buffet bars should feature an International theme. Perhaps one morning: French crepes. The next: Mexican chorizo and eggs. The list is long indeed of traditional
breakfast recipes that could be enjoyed.
I know this is going to sound silly… (Carnival Cruise Lines
does this)… Hey, RC: Where is the
chocolate when I return to my stateroom at 1 AM?
THE RUSSELLS
One Friday night, just as we had ordered our dessert – Key
Lime Pie – we had a pleasant surprise.
One of the treats of cruising is the opportunity to meet new
people. The couple that normally sat at
the table-for-two next to ours did not come to dinner, so the table was
vacant. Joni and I were simply enjoying
a quiet romantic together, when Joni looked up and saw a “senior” couple, Jim
and Pat Russell from Cleveland, walking in our direction.
Seeing the empty table next to ours, Pat says to Jim, “It’s
K.C. and Joni. It looks like we could sit here.”
We had met the Russells on the dance floor. Jim was 82 yrs. old, and Pat was quick to tell
us that in less than two weeks, she would be an, “Octogenarian”. They were a happy and effervescent “young”
couple who loved to dance. They told us
that they take “about” 3 cruises each year!
Their unexpected arrival threw the Tides staff into a bit of
disarray. I quickly gave Eder a nod of
my head indicating that all was O.K. with us.
Within just a minute, the red-jacketed Head Waiter showed up. I finally got to see what the Head Waiter
gets paid to do. For the next few
minutes he took over. He quickly
determined how to “rebalance” the loss of the invisible equilibrium that kept
everything working smoothly. He gladly
listened…
The Russells explained that they had left their normal
“early dining” table to go dancing! Did
you note that I said the Russells were 82 and 80 yrs. old??? Can’t you just hear that conversation?
“Come on, Jim. Let’s
skip dessert. The band is playing and I
wanna dance...”
“O.K., sweetheart.
Whatever you want. What about
dessert?”
“It’s no big deal. We
will just go crash the “late dining” and find us an empty table…”
When the Head Waiter determined that all that was needed was
a couple of desserts he simply raised his hand.
Eder seemed to appear out of nowhere... somehow intuitively knowing to
bring two Dessert Menus. The Head
Waiter confirmed the order: Two pieces of Key Lime pie. Balance had been restored to the Tides Dining
Room.
So... Joni and I sat and visited, and laughed, and swapped dance stories, and ate Key Lime Pie with the Russells. Truly, this is on of the joys of cruising. Perhaps we will meet Jim and Pat again, on some cruise ship dance floor, sailing across the vastness of the Sea.
Friday, March 7, 2014
MORE GREAT FOOD
I started the evening meal with Roasted Peach Soup. If you have never roasted fresh peaches on an outdoor grill in the summertime, you have no point of reference for the decadent flavor that comes from an ordinary peach when it is slow roasted over a flame. It is like nothing else I've ever tasted. Delicious beyond description. Especially when served warm with cold Breyers vanilla ice cream. Well, this soup, served chilled, captured that amazing flavor.
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| BROILED LOBSTER TAIL |
Dessert was a Grand Marnier Souffle with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Lunch was on what is called on some ships the Lido Deck. Surrounded by blue sea, we enjoyed BBQ chicken and beef ribs. I tried a dessert called Clafouti, which is a french custard topped with fresh blueberries. How do you say, "Yum", in French?
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| CLAFOUTI |
 |
| A PERFECT PLACE FOR LUNCH |
Dinner was again, one of my very favorite meals; Roasted Lamb Shank. It was served with a roasted pumpkin and Cabernet sauce. Simply amazing; rich and satisfying. Appetizer: another chilled soup; Pineapple and Lychee Soup. Dessert: Key Lime Pie.
MY FAVORITE LUNCH
I don't remember what day it was served, I think perhaps Monday, in the Windjammer Buffet they featured Oxtail Stew. My, oh my. It was so delicious I had it for DESSERT! Fall off the bone tender. Full of that rich beef flavor that can only be found in a cut such as oxtails. At home I usually fix oxtails with more allspice than what I detected in this stew, but I must admit that I'm a huge fan of allspice, and probably tend to over use it. Trust me... I'm not complaining. It was very, very good. A wonderful lunch....
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| OXTAIL STEW |
IMPORTANT BARBADOS INFO: SI ROBERTSON WON'T BE HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY
IMPORTANT BARBADOS
NOTE #1:
IMPORTANT BARBADOS
NOTE #2:
Prices in Barbados
are normally shown in BARBADOS DOLLARS!
The exchange rate is 2 B$ for 1 US $.
BABADOS: I’LL BE BACK
I will come back to this place.
For many years, 7 Mile Beach on Grand Cayman Island
Today I experienced a beach that defies my ability as a
wordsmith to explain. I will try, but
fail. I will in vain search through the
vocabulary of man to describe a place that seems made by the Divine. You think I exaggerate, but I do not. This place… this beach… is found on a 166
square mile island paradise called Barbados . The beach: Brownes
Beach which overlooks pristine Carlisle Bay
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| BROWNES BEACH - BARBADOS |
The sand was like walking in sugar… soft white sugar. Never before have I walked on a sun soaked
beach on an 87 degree day where the sand was “cool” beneath my feet. I know it sounds impossible, right? But it was cool… it really was. I don’t know how. It just was.
I did hear someone say that it is because the sand is so perfectly
white. It absorbs very little heat, but
rather, it reflects it back to the sky.
Whatever the reason, I do not care.
I just want to come back to this amazing place. Again.
And again… and again.
And the colors… Please note: I’m am medically certifiable
color blind… but the colors were like nothing I have ever seen before. The white sand clearly visible beneath the
crystal surf, then somehow turning a light bluish silver, and then as if
painted by God himself, I saw strand after strand of ever darkening shades of
blue like I have never seen before. All
of this ending in a stripe of brilliant dark blue drawn directly beneath a
beautiful light blue sky dotted with perfectly white puffs of clouds. I will come back to this place.
As I lounged under a dark green canvas umbrella, I could
smell lobster being grilled at Lobster Alive, a small beachfront café that had
provided us with a couple of lounges and the umbrella for the price of… are you
ready for this?... $15 dollars US!!! This included discounts on drinks, access to
the necessary rooms. Fifteen Bucks!!! I will come back to this place.
 |
| THE VIEW FROM UNDER MY HAT - I THINK I'LL TAKE A NAP |
Now here is the scoop if you are considering going to Browns Beach
For your return to the ship, no worries. As a matter of fact, as Joni and I were
gathering up our stuff getting ready to return to the ship, I put my arms
around Joni and gave her a kiss. It was
then that I heard someone saying, in clearly a Barbadian accent, “Hey! Romeo and Juliet. Do you need a taxi back to the ship?” It took us a moment, and then we realized
that he was talking to us.
“Yes. Sure”, was our
embarrassed response.
Simple as that,
and we were on our way back.
This might be a good place to comment about taxi
drivers. Some drivers seem processed of
the Devil, because they drive like the notable “bat out of Hell”; like the one
we had several years ago on a ride from Miami International Airport (MIA) to
the Holiday Inn across the street from the Port. I distinctly remember looking up at the
speedometer and seeing the needle at 70 mph as we entered a tight curving exit
ramp that was clearly marked 25 MPH!!!!
However, there are more great ones than bad ones, and the
young Barbadian driver who would take us back to the Jewel of the Seas was, as
we say back home, “A hoot!” He
cheerfully got us in this van, and easily headed back to the ship, singing as
he drove down the clean and beautiful streets of this vibrant tropical
city. When suddenly… he stopped. Right in the middle of the street. He just slowed down and stopped.
For what, you ask. It
seemed as though he had spotted a pretty young women walking down the
sidewalk. He leaned out the window and
said, “Excuse me, but could you please give me directions?”
She gave him an odd look and replied, “Directions?”
To which he, with a bright smile said, “Yes,
directions. Can you tell me the quickest
way to your heart?”
This guy was in a league of his own. She smiled back at him, shook her head in
flirtatious disbelief and walked away…
And we were then back on our way back to the Jewel.
DOMINICA – Pronounced: dom i neek a
Juxtaposition….
It seemed very odd.
In fact, odd is not a “big” enough word for what I was sensing. In a, “Which one of these things does not
belong with the others?” sort of way, with which we are all so familiar on
standardized academic testing, something seemed very odd – out of place. As children, we are taught in school that man
is king. Man is positioned at the top of
the animal / “all living things” pyramid.
We make salad with the plants and we roast the animals. If it is in our way, we cut it down. As singer /song writer, Joni Mitchell
wrote, “They paved paradise and put in a
parking lot.” As I think about it now,
even the idea of me standing there only added to the oddness.
I was standing at the entrance to the 17,000 acre Morne Trois
Pitons National
Park Dominica . But before I started my 10 minute trek along
a wet and rocky path to see Trafalgar
Falls
And I realized… All
of this was a strange juxtaposition. In
reality, I was never going to get very far from what had been created to enable
me to enjoy this lush piece of nature’s WILDerness. A muddy, rocky path was all that would keep
me from falling into this vast tropical world, this Sea of Green, that would
swallow me up in a minute if it were not for my ability to outsmart it… if only
but for just a very few brief minutes.
I
was not standing there because I was the biggest, or fastest, or strongest. I was standing there, in this wild and
wonderful place, because of my ability for this moment to move my pieces of the
game into my current position. I was
there because of my ability to adapt. In
the same way that the Jewel of the Seas kept the vastness of the sea from
swallowing me, only a small rocky path, worn down by the footsteps of hundreds
of people trying to get a peek behind the curtain… only that path would protect
me… would keep the lush vastness of the rainforest from swallowing me whole.
 |
| "CYRIQUE" (Guinotia dentata) LAND CRAB FOUND IN THE RAINFOREST |
And for one brief moment I realized that I better keep my
eyes open because the game is not over. (Have
you seen the movie “Jumanji”?) My large and powerful opponent might very well
be prepared to make her next move.
One additional note concerning Dominica:
Your ship will arrive at the capital city, Roseau . It will appear cluttered and dingy. The streets will seem narrow. It will appear poor. That is because it is. The annual per capita income in less than
$7,000. In St.
Kitts that number is just under $13,000.
I think it is important that we keep these numbers in mind as we visit
the Islands .
Thursday, March 6, 2014
GREAT FOOD
Each day we were treated to a great variety of delicious food. Delicious entrees, scrumptious desserts, delightful breads and pastries... it was all available.
On night #3 we began our dinner with Roasted Garlic Soup. It was everything I expected it to be. Intensely garlicky and creamy. What is not to like about this? Really? This was followed with perfectly roasted Roast Pork Tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto. It was tender and delicious. Joni enjoyed the Chicken Marsala, one of her favorites. Dinner was finished with Tiramisu and a cup a black coffee.
On the forth night in the Tides Dining Room I enjoyed perhaps my favorite meal of the cruise. I was so happy to see Rack of Lamb on the menu posted just outside the Dining Room.
I started with dinner with chilled Mango and Pineapple soup. It was light, and cool, and fruity, and perfectly refreshing. I could have made a meal on just this. This was followed with the lamb served on a bed of mashed parsnips... so tender that I could cut it with my fork. Much lighter herbs than how the Greeks in the Detroit area typically serve this dish. It was really very good.
On night #3 we began our dinner with Roasted Garlic Soup. It was everything I expected it to be. Intensely garlicky and creamy. What is not to like about this? Really? This was followed with perfectly roasted Roast Pork Tenderloin wrapped in prosciutto. It was tender and delicious. Joni enjoyed the Chicken Marsala, one of her favorites. Dinner was finished with Tiramisu and a cup a black coffee.
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| ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN |
 |
| CHICKEN MARSALA |
 |
| TIRAMISU |
I started with dinner with chilled Mango and Pineapple soup. It was light, and cool, and fruity, and perfectly refreshing. I could have made a meal on just this. This was followed with the lamb served on a bed of mashed parsnips... so tender that I could cut it with my fork. Much lighter herbs than how the Greeks in the Detroit area typically serve this dish. It was really very good.
SUNSCREEN SUCCESS
You may recall that in an earlier post about sunscreens I mentioned my hope that I would be able to find some of the products that are NOT available in the U.S. Well.... He shoots. He scorrrressss.
While strolling along the beach in Sint Maarten, Joni said, "Look... A pharmacy. They might have the sunscreens you are looking for."
Sure enough, we walked inside and found a huge section of sun protection products; including the very brands that I had researched. I spent just over $70, but was happy to do so.
After only a little usage, I can report GREAT results. Very effective and long lasting... and obviously my testing happened under several days of intense Caribbean sunshine. These products were not greasy. They didn't contain nasty perfumes. I will be ordering more of these products from online sources this coming summer.
While strolling along the beach in Sint Maarten, Joni said, "Look... A pharmacy. They might have the sunscreens you are looking for."
Sure enough, we walked inside and found a huge section of sun protection products; including the very brands that I had researched. I spent just over $70, but was happy to do so.
After only a little usage, I can report GREAT results. Very effective and long lasting... and obviously my testing happened under several days of intense Caribbean sunshine. These products were not greasy. They didn't contain nasty perfumes. I will be ordering more of these products from online sources this coming summer.
ST. KITTS
For us, St. Kitts was a beach. Let me explain…
When we woke up on Tuesday, I went out to get my first cup
of coffee and take a look at our Port for the Day, Basseterre, St. Kitts. I have said before that most Caribbean
Islands are basically the same. St.
Kitts might be at the extreme end of that sameness. At first glance from the ship’s rail, St.
Kitts does not look like an Island paradise, lush and green. No. In
fact, it appears quite the opposite.
Brown and barren.
 |
| ST. KITTS |
During my online research I had learned that St. Kitts was a
very small Island, only 68 sq. mi. For
my geometrically challenged friends, think of it this way: St. Kitts is
approximately 5 miles wide x 13 miles long.
Its sister Island, Nevis, which sits only 2 miles away is only 36 sq.
miles. Most cruise ships pass by these
tiny Islands, but that is changing.
Tourism has replaced sugar as the dominate source of income.
We didn’t have a “plan” for the day. So… we decided to get a bite of breakfast from the Windjammer Buffet – I enjoyed the Granola Bar (a bowl of granola topped with dried figs, dates, and apricots), along with peanut butter and cream cheese on whole grain toast – and then go see if we could find a beach.
Once off the ship we were greeted by the usual hoard of taxi
/ tour vendors. We asked a few about
rates and beaches. I wanted to see if
they were all recommending the same beach.
“Recommended” beaches are not necessarily “good” beaches. It usually just means that the drivers are
getting kick-backs from the cafés or restaurants for bringing in the
tourists. It usually means that the
beach will be crowded. It usually means
that you will be frequently approached by vendors wanting to sell / rent you
everything from necklaces to massages to jet skis to time-share
presentations. It means that you will
have to keep aware of stray Frisbees and out of bounds volleyballs. So… if you are wanting a quiet beach without
a bunch of hassle and noise… you might want to stay away from “recommended”
beaches.
After our casual survey of recommendations, we decided to go
to head out to South Friars Bay, which is on the west side / Caribbean Sea side
of the Island, which is more desirable because of the typically calmer
surf. This was closer and less expensive
than the “highly recommended” Cockleshell Beach that is at the southernmost tip
of St. Kitts.
The taxi ride took about 15-20 minutes to get us to Carambola
Beach Club. This beachfront resort was
“very” nice. As we walked in we were
told that all the umbrellas and chairs were being used. It took me all of about 2 seconds to realize
that we were NOT going to get stuck here.
I looked at Joni with a bit of frustration and said, “Let’s go.”
We stepped back out to the circular drive where we had been
dropped off to discover that our taxi was gone; back to pick up more tourists
that he could bring to this “recommended” beach resort that was “full”. I approached another taxi that was unloading
more unsuspecting tourists.
“They have no more beach chairs and umbrellas. The place is packed!”, I announced. We need to go somewhere else.
Some walked past me; a few understood and looked at the
driver.
“Where else can you take us?”, I queried.
“There’s a great place just down the road. Hop in.
I’ll take you; no charge.”
“Sounds wonderful.
Thank you.”
Within just a few minutes she delivered us to Shipwreck
Beach, which is on the southern side of South Friars Bay. It was PERFECT.
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| CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER |
 |
| A HARD DAY'S WORK |
 |
| GREEN VERVET MONKEY |
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| BOUGAINVILLEA - ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS |
After a few hours of hard and strenuous work of holding down
a lounge chair on the beach… we found a taxi which was waiting by the Shipwreck
Bar and Grill. After a brief stop to
take a few scenic pics of a spot where the Atlantic Ocean is separated from the
Caribbean Sea by only a 1/2 mile ribbon of land, we soon were back in Basseterre,
and then back aboard the Jewel.
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| ATLANTIC OCEAN ON LEFT / CARIBBEAN SEA ON RIGHT |
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| GOOD-BYE TO ST. KITTS |
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