Cruising January 24 – 31, 2010

Here we go again! One great feature of wintering in Florida is cruising. Without having to pay airfare to a Port, money can be saved and the flexibility of retirement lets you pick and choose your cruise economically. We paid $1001 for the 2 of us to sail with Norwegian Cruise Lines and that included taxes and gratuities! This was our third cruise since retiring and we sailed out of Miami this time. That in itself was interesting since the Port is accessed downtown and I was curious to see if Miami really looked as colourful as it does on CSI! Unfortunately arrival day was a bit overcast but I have to admit the buildings we saw were colourful and the port and waterways scenic.

Sanlan friends Ken and Kathy, Howard and Maureen and Ron and Mary also signed up for this cruise and we were thrilled to have their company. The pre-amble to the cruise was more fun as we got together to exchange notes on what to bring, how to get there and to make plans. John and I had not sailed Norwegian before so I was excited to see a different ship, this one called the Jewel. This line claims to be “freestyle” cruising which means more flexibility in dining and with things to do. I did not find it much different from Costa or Princess however except that formal nights were not mandatory. We did choose to dress up anyway on those nights just for fun. Also we did not have set times in the dining room but could go and get a pager so that when a table was ready we would be buzzed. Most nights we had no wait anyway. We ate in Tsar’s dining room all but twice. It was decorated with portraits of Russian Tsar’s and ornate details all around. The ambiance was enjoyable and of course the food was excellent and it is taking a while to wear it off.

Ken and Kathy had a balcony room so this was our gathering place for appetizers and happy hour before dinner. I love the balcony room but we had an ocean view. (The dollar speaks.) The view was partially obstructed by the life boats and you had to think twice before opening the curtains. One day I opened them and there was a worker cleaning the life boat! It was a nice bright room however and a good size with a great bathroom and shower.

The Jewel was painted with designs inside and out, a signature feature of Norwegian. The overall décor of the ship was modern with abstract lines, modern furniture in most areas and bright colours which I never would put together in my own home! It was a festive atmosphere and of course there were many bars, restaurants and entertainment venues aboard. We went to the show every night in the Stardust Theatre and the performers were first class. The casino was large and bustling but we didn’t spend time there due to smoking being allowed. The pool deck was fun but noisy with live bands every afternoon and silly games in one of the pools. We usually stayed by the adult pool where there was some modicum of peace. As with our other cruises chairs in prime locations were at a premium and you had to be wily to get enough for 8 of us to sit together.

We had only 2 full sea days however so this was not really an issue.

After a day at sea our first port of call was Roatan Honduras, a port John and I had visited before. Roatan is part of the Bay Islands with a history involving many conquerors. The result is a mixture of cultures including natives and though the country lacks ultra-modern amenities it felt safe and is very picturesque. In just one year John and I noticed a big change and the writing is on the wall. This will not be a “remote” Island for long. The disparities between the “have and have nots” will likely always be evident as we have seen in much of the Caribbean but development is moving rapidly. More cruise ship docks have been built since last year and the Island is much busier with many residents becoming entrepreneurs. On West Bay Beach we were solicited heavily by children and adults selling jewelry, massage, braiding, conch shells and who knows what else. We bartered for a local taxi van to take us to West Bay Beach rather than doing a cruise excursion here and enjoyed the day. I am not sure if this was an “official taxi” but we felt safe and were well looked after. There were many drivers fighting for business and it was a bit crazy. It was slightly overcast but the water was wonderfully warm. I love everything about swimming in warm salt water! John and I had bought snorkeling equipment and tested it out here since it was too cold to try it in Florida before we left. I got enough of a comfort level to take the edge off my nerves for the excursion we were going on the next day.

One highlight here was “The Thirsty Dog.” A young Canadian man was trying to un-beach a water taxi and John and Ron went to help turn the boat over once it was dug out of the sand. I was snapping pictures and laughed my head off when I downloaded the pictures and noticed that I had captured the fellow’s dog trying to drink Ron’s beer that he had put down! Hilarious! Back at our spot Ron was serenaded by a guitar player looking for tips while Maureen was kind enough to allow herself a sample of a free massage. Right…no such thing as free but her masseuse was also a comedian and we were all entertained by this invasion.

Our next stop was Belize; an English-speaking country on the Caribbean coast of Central America. It was known as British Honduras until 1973. It is a small country and the Jewel anchored off the shore of the city of Belize. You could see the shoreline but the weather was very unsettled that morning. As I walked the promenade to get some exercise I was amazed at how quickly the vista changed due to clouds, showers and the sun shining through at times. John and I, Howard and Maureen and Ken and Kathy had pre-booked a snorkeling excursion. We left the ship near noon in bright sunshine and rode for nearly an hour straight out on a power catamaran. Off the coast is the longest Barrier Reef in the Western Hemisphere. It parallels the main land for 185 miles. It was weird getting to such shallow and clear water this far out. We brought our new gear and had tried it out only the day before on the beach in Roatan. This was my first time snorkeling near coral and I was very excited but nervous. I could hardly believe the colour of the water and the breaker that was cresting the reef not far from where we anchored. I was worried about getting too close to the coral since in some spots it was only a couple of feet down from the surface. We were warned that it could cut you. I soon relaxed when I realized I was very buoyant and it took some effort just to get vertical. The fins and life jacket as well as the salt water keep you up quite nicely. . But it turned out to be a highlight and I cannot wait to do more snorkeling!! With less people around would be nice. Still, it was amazing. Then we stopped on an Island for some fun before returning to the ship. The rum punch was flowing but sadly they wouldn’t let us take even a glass of it onto the ship. Ron and Mary didn’t come snorkeling but took a tour of the small city of Belize. They found it poor with much garbage but also some interesting homes and shops.

The next day we landed at Costa Maya Mexico. It was extremely windy and the sea was rough but the Captain managed to get us docked. We heard that 2 other cruise ships cancelled this stop. We could see the tiny but colourful town at the end of a long dock and other than that the coast was rugged and rather barren looking. The shoreline was magnificent and the reef was still evident in the frothy but turquoise water. This region is home to 5 of the area’s ancient Mayan ruins and we booked an excursion to one called Chacchoben dating back to 360 A.D. Ken and Kathy, and John and I boarded a bus at 8 a.m. and drove for an hour or so through mostly mangrove swamps. Howard and Maureen and Ron and Mary were on another bus. We passed a few very rustic homes, a military check point and one small village before arriving at the Ruins. Jesus (Hay-soos) was our guide and we feel fortunate to have had him. He is a descendent of the Mayans on his maternal side. His great Grandmother is still alive at age 108 and speaks only Mayan. Jesus was an excellent guide. He was highly educated and well spoken and knew so much about the ruins, the Mayan history and culture and Mexico in general. There was not a question he couldn’t answer and his pride in his heritage and his country was evident in all he said. At the site we were given time to explore the main pyramid, climb the stairs to the plateau and view the recently excavated ruins. I was reluctant to stray too far from Jesus however; he was so interesting and even played an ancient Mayan instrument for us. After returning to the town we met up with the others for a beer in the festive atmosphere and looked through some stores. The inevitable Jewelry, souvenir and clothing stores dominated the port. Most cruise stops have developed in a similar way with shopping and bar hopping being main attractions. There were people lining the entrance to the port dressed in traditional costumes and we soon learned that the Governor and the Port Owner were touring the area causing a bit of a stir.

Next we had a day at Sea while heading over to Stirrup Cay, an Island in the Bahamas used exclusively for Cruise ships and our last stop before Miami. I had no idea there were so many Islands in the Bahamas (over 700) but most are not inhabited and some are very small. I was excited about Stirrup Cay since I would get a chance to snorkel again. But as we neared the Island the Captain announced we would not stop there since the Tender Company had a problem and could only provide us with one tender (taxi type boat to transport us from the ship to the Island). This would not work so we passed the Island and headed to Nassau. I was sorely disappointed but it was really a blessing because the Nassau stop was one of my favourites. We disembarked and as usual there were locals vying for tourist business. Rodney convinced us to go with him for $23 each in a van. This seemed to be an “official taxi” since Rodney and many others were wearing official looking name tags. Rodney was well dressed with a jaunty hat and seemed trustworthy and funny. He would show us several aspects of the Island; the ghetto, middle and high class neighborhoods, the fort, Atlantis and one of the beautiful beaches. He did not let us down. Rodney has been doing tours for 17 years and was a wealth of knowledge and information. His driving skills were admirable and if someone got in his way he didn’t hesitate to get out and tell them to move. There was much laying on of horns. As with most Caribbean Islands I have experienced driving is a bit of an adventure. Atlantis is on Paradise Island, part of Nassau. It was built maybe 10 years ago and is one of the world’s most prestigious hotels and casinos. We were stunned by the beauty and richness of this place. One of the suites (called the Michael Jackson suite since he was highly invested in Atlantis and stayed there twice) costs $25,000 a day!! We went through the casino and admired some $1,000,000 glass sculptures. The décor and architecture is awesome in the true sense of the word. A man-made lagoon allows guests to kayak, snorkel and do other water sports in a very natural looking ocean setting. It was the size of a small lake and did not look man-made. The ocean and exquisite beach were nearby. Down stairs you walked by an underwater aquarium filled with many kinds of tropical fish including a couple of species of sharks. The aquarium was made to look like the lost city of Atlantis with ruins and artifacts of the so called lost city. Amazing. I can’t even imagine staying at this hotel. As with many places on the cruise Nassau is a city of contrasts but I felt quite comfortable there and would like to go back. Rodney sang a funny song for us as we headed back toward the ship.

We walked to Senior Frogs, a hopping bar and restaurant with loud Island music and jubilant tourists. It was a great day and a great way to end our cruise. One short night of sailing and we were back in Miami.