Goodbye cold snowy Ottawa!Janice and I are headed south to escape the Canadian winter for two weeks : )
We changed planes in Chicago and enjoyed the first class flight to Ft. Lauderdale Florida.
We have enjoyed a few cruises to the Caribbean before, but currently we have a few health issues we are battling, so I am off of all foods with yeast, cheese or sugar, Janice is going to minimize gluten and dairy ... No bread, no deserts, no pizza ... Challenging - but not impossible : )
Sunday, December 23rd
Our hotel - The Bahia Mar on Seabreeze Boulevard had a nice ocean view.
We walked down the street to find breakfast, then took the hop on hop off trolly to get a few groceries. Across from the hotel was a little delicatessen, so we had a big salad for lunch.
After lunch, we took a shuttle to the port. Boarding our ship was fast and easy, as it was later in the afternoon. We've done most of the other cruise lines- this would be our first Holland America cruise.The largest ship I've been on was The Liberty Of The Seas ... this ship - The Neiew Amsterdam, while not as large, still has many nice features to help passengers enjoy their cruise and feel pampered.
Not long after boarding, everyone did the mandatory muster drill before the ship left port.
We had dinner in The Manhattan Room - one of seven eating establishments aboard ... Jan had chicken, I had steak. One if the impressive features of this newer (2010) ship includes a retractable roof over the Lido pool on the 9th deck. The Amsterdam is well appointed, with many New York Art Deco style design elements throughout. We unpacked our luggage in our cabin on deck 1 ... This was to be our home for the next two weeks.
Monday, December 24th
Little San Salvador Island
Breakfast - tomato, onion, shrimp, omelet; bacon, ham, and sausage at the Lido restaurant ... This relaxed dining area is open most of the day and offers a wide variety of edible choices. Spoke with Reba and her husband at the table near by ... an Atlanta couple.
Our port of call today is Half Moon Cay (Little San Salvador Island) ... Holland Americas private little piece of The Caribbean.
Travel Tip: Aim to arrive the day before your scheduled departure for a cruise ... this allows for flight problems or weather complications during travel.
On the island I played beach volleyball. Later in the day there was a BBQ lunch ... Burger and steak for me please : ) After lunch, a dip in the Bahamas salt waters was just what the doctor ordered. Later, we dined with Homer and Claire in the elegant Manhattan Dining Room. It was nice sharing a table with this friendly older couple from New Hampshire. Prime Rib was my choice for supper tonight.
Tuesday, December 25th
Today is a day at sea. The ship will not be in a port today as we travel on the ocean to our next destination.
We went to see Santa at the theater at 9 am in the Showroom at sea. After, we had breakfast in the Manhattan dining room, where we chatted with a mother and her grandson from Australia sitting nearby. Eggs, bacon, sausage, corned beef hash and hash browns was my morning meal today.We enjoyed some more Caribbean sun poolside on the Lido Deck in the morning, then enjoyed a walk around deck 3 at noon. For Lunch - baked tomatoes, roasted potato, turkey, pastrami, meat balls and string beans. In the afternoon I played Music Trivia, while Janice found a quiet spot out on deck to read.
Dinner was turkey for Janice, beef for me ... Then it was off to the Showroom At Sea theater for The Captains toast (hello free champagne) and Piano Follies with Leonardo.
Wednesday, December 26th
Jamaica - Ocho Rios
We ate breakfast in the Manhattan dining room and talked with two men at the table near us- Alan and Andy, from Miami.
Back aboard the Amsterdam we had Lunch - consomme, salad, turkey, chicken, green beans mashed potatoes. Walking during the cruise is a nice way to get some exercise ... on the beach, using the stairs or around one of the outer decks of the ship.
Travel Tip: Try to stay active while on holidays. Aim for a nice balance of relaxation and activity ... this can help you stay healthy and energetic.
In the afternoon, I phoned to talk with the head of food services for the ship, to ask him about some of the foods I'd seen on board labelled "no sugar added". During dinner later that day, he came over and introduced himself ... the crew of these ships work very hard and do all they can to help passengers have an enjoyable time while on the cruise.
Thursday December 27th
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
The alarm woke us up bright and early, at 6 AM this morning. We were heading to Seven Mile Beach today, and the bus was leaving at 8AM.
This is a busy place, with 6 ships (Some of the largest passenger ships in the world) in port this morning.
- Royal Caribbean's Mariner and Freedom of the Seas
- The Carnival Magic and Conquest
- Celebrity Constellation (the smallest)
- and us The Niew Amsterdam (the second smallest)
Rack of Lamb, asparagus and squash was dinner tonight in The Lido ... Followed by sugar free Black Forest cake and sugar free chocolate ice cream. The ice cream wasn't great, but the cake was very good. I'm not crazy about artificial sweeteners, but for this brief period I will try these Splenda sweetened treats.
Janice and I played some table tennis after dinner.
Friday December 28th
Today we got to sleep in a bit and start the day at a slower pace. After Breakfast, we met our group for a Hiking and Archeology excursion . It was hot and humid, but well worth the trip.
After lunch the ship departed and despite very strong winds, we walked around outside deck 10 for some sun and exercise.
Travel Tip: Be sun smart! Don't let a bad sunburn ruin your vacation. Use sunscreen, cover up and limit your time in the sum where possible.
Dinner in The Manhattan room this evening was formal. Shrimp cocktail, consomme, Steak and lobster, and sugar free chocolate cake was for supper tonight.
Saturday December 29th
At sea
I have decided to try to eat less red meat. I will try to choose more turkey and less beef during this cruise.
After watching the sun come up at the aft of the ship, I brought some coffee back to our cabin. By 9:30 we had eaten breakfast and were lying in the sun, poolside.
Cruising is nice, but there are compromises ... The cabins can be small, the music poolside may not be to your liking, prices for some services not included can be high and vibration throughout the ship can take some getting used to. That being said, this is like a very nice floating luxury hotel, with nice artwork, pools, entertainment, and more ... I am quite happy to be somewhere warm and sunny where people are serving me, and not to be at home- shoveling snow.
The rest of the afternoon for me was spent laying around being completely lazy. Janice visited the library, read out on deck and had her nails done at the spa. One of the great things about cruises is that everything is optional ... You can be as active, or as inactive as you want.
Spring rolls, vegetable soup, lamb, sugar free chocolate cake and ice cream were served to us at the Manhattan dining room tonight... Then Janice and I went for a walk around the ship. Somehow, we ended up at the Lido restaurant indulging in sugar free cherry crumble pie and ice cream... Hmmm - It can be tough at times to be good when on vacation : )
Sunday, December 30thFort Lauderdale, Florida
After breakfast, we went shopping at the Sawgrass Mills outlet mall. This is a large shopping center with many stores to choose from.
After lunch, everyone did the mandatory muster drill before the ship left port.
We were in the Crows Nest Bar on deck 11 forward ... watching the wonderful view as we set out to sea. We were forth in a line of six or seven ships. The Celebrity Silhouette (the 18th largest cruise ship in the world) was just ahead of us, and The Allure of the Seas (the worlds largest cruise ship) was behind us. Today was very choppy out at sea ... large waves rocked the ship back and forth.
We were seated with Jay and Meryl from Boca Rotan at dinner this evening.
Monday December 31
Bahamas - Nassau
I have decided to avoid ALL deserts from here on in ... I can do without the Splenda sweetened temptations ... Also - no more French fries for this cowboy.
Water, black coffee, eggs, turkey sausages, potatoes, baked tomatoes, Oatmeal and tomato juice were for breakfast.
Beside us in port today were docked the Costa Mediterrenea, The Disney dream, and the Carnival glory.Our excursion in a Glass Bottom Boat took us out to a reef, where we could see coral and marine life beneath us in the clear Mediterranean Sea. We browsed through the local markets and shops before returning to the ship.
The customs official at the dock referred to me as "Young Man" as he checked my I D when we were returning to the ship.After lunch I got a little exercise and sun on deck 10 - the Panorama Deck... then, the rest of the afternoon Janice and I indulged in some more rest and relaxation.
Dinner this evening was at one of the ships specialty restaurants - The Canaletto. Then, it was off to the Theater for the Captain's toast and some singing and dancing ... A show called "NYC".
This state of the art theater can do many things, with the stage having multiple pop up and drop down sections, a built in turntable and various other features that can enhance any production lucky enough to be staged there.
Tuesday January 1, 2013
Today was going to be another day of enjoying sunshine at the poolside. At 9:15 AM, the retractable glass roof opened a segment. At 10:30 AM, an ice carving demonstration took place near one end of the pool. At 11AM, a musician played steel drum music on the little stage between the pool and one of the three hot tubs. At 11:30 AM the retractable roof above the Lido Pool opened more.
During lunch at The Lido Restaurant , I discovered something called Papadam at the "Tastes from around the world" section. In Addition to the regular buffet, salad, beverage and desert stations, there is an Italian and Mexican section (hello corn chips and refried beans) and a Flavors of The World section (hello sushi).
Travel Tip: Even though you are on vacation, try to make healthy choices when eating wherever possible ... you deserve to stay healthy and energetic to truly enjoy your travel experience.
At 4:30 PM Janice and I played Yahtzee. The ship has a Library up on Deck 11 Forward, where you can borrow books and games. The library is attached to The Explorations Cafe and The Crow's Nest Bar.
After dinner we went for a little walk and played some table tennis.This ship is fairly new ... but even with all of it's wonderful features you might find some vibration at certain times and places aboard.
Puerto Rico- San Juan
I had crepes for breakfast ... no filling - just a little butter and powdered cinnamon.
I spent another morning laying around by the pool ... we have been very lucky with the weather on this trip. Every day has been sunny and warm ... not a drop of rain!
Today we are docked docked by The Seaborne Quest ... a smaller ship, but it looks well equipped. Also in port - The Disney Dream ... I can see a water slide near the top of this ship.
Our excursion today takes us to the El Yunque Rain Forest for a hike. There are many beautiful things to see in The Caribbean and rain forests should definitely be on a traveler's to do list.
Thursday, January 3
St. Maarten (Phillipsburg)
My alarm went off at 6:15 this morning ... Up and at 'em : )
For breakfast- water, coffee, tomato juice, a crepe, grits, eggs, turkey sausage and baked tomatoes.
Today we are along side Royal Caribbean's Freedom Of The Seas, The Independence of the Seas and The Celebrity summit.
Today's excursion - a mountain top downhill trek. This was to be one of the most challenging excursions I've been on. Slippery roots, leaves and loose rocks made for a challenging journey down the St Maarten mountain side. The views were terrific from way up there. Our excursion guide nick named me "Bigfoot" after I volunteered to take up the end position in our group. Janice and I wandered around the shops before taking a water taxi back to our ship.After lunch it was time to rest ... between the downhill trek and walking around the shops, we were pretty tired.
Our next two days had no scheduled excursions ... it would be nice to slow down a bit and take things at a slower pace.
Friday , January 4
At sea
I woke up at 5 am this morning ... a little stiff and sore ... Battered and bruised, but yesterday was still worth it. I had breakfast with the sunrise by the Seaview pool, at the aft of the ship.
Tonight was another formal night in the dining room ... it was always a very elegant site to see everyone all dressed up for formal dinners.
We enjoyed the company of Len and Lois with us at dinner tonight in The Manhatten Room. After dinner, we stopped in at the theatre and caught a bit of the show (Cantare) ...
Saturday, January 5
Little San Salvador Island
This is our second visit here in this two week trip ... and that's OK. It's a beautiful little island and a great place to enjoy a Caribbean beach. We were anchored at Half Moon Cay along side another Holland America ship - The Zuiderdam ... I enjoyed watching the sunrise over breakfast.
Janice and I had a couple of beach chairs near the "I Wish I Could Stay Here Forever Bar" on the beach. The morning was spent enjoying the sand and surf ... another spectacular sunny Caribbean day. I had a BBQ lunch on the island before we went back to the ship.Jay and Meryl joined us again for dinner ... it was nice chatting about our travel experiences.
After supper we packed ... all good things must come to an end - nothing lasts forever and it was time to get ready to return to our snowy Canadian home in Ottawa.
Travel Tip: flashy luggage is easier to see at a busy airport luggage carousel
Sunday, January 6
On our way home
Today in Port Everglades here in Fort Lauderdale Florida, we are docked near the Ruby Princess. After breakfast we disembarked and went to the Fort Lauderdale Hollywood airport.
We boarded our plane and were ready to fly home ... unfortunately, the plane had a technical problem and all passengers were asked to leave the plane and return to the terminal while they tried to fix the problem..
2 hours later we were finally on our way. We would have to catch a later connecting flight in Chicago.
We were finally on a flight to Ottawa by around 9:20 (Chicago time). The 90 minute flight took us home and we landed at about quarter past midnight ... It would be nice to sleep in our own beds tonight.
At the Ottawa airport we picked up our luggage, went through customs and went outside to get a taxi... it was cold, snowy and there were many people in line to catch taxis ... I was only in my hoodie, so it was a bit chilly. Next time, I'll have to remember my jacket. Finally, we were at home in bed by 2 AM. (my alarm would be going off in 3 1/2 hours to wake me up to go to work).
It had been a wonderful trip. Two weeks of sunshine, beaches, hot tubs and pampering ... We will carry these memories with us long after this wonderful vacation..
