We take a taxi to the train station and the next 5 hours are quite relaxing. The train is massively long and because its final destination in New York, includes sleeper carriages. The seats are winder and have more leg room than any plane, train or automobile I’ve ever been on. A little way into the journey a conductor comes through taking reservations for lunch! There is a carriage for snacks, burgers, drinks etc, but apparently there is also a sit down carriage as well. Why not, so we make a booking for the 2nd sitting!
So this carriage has tables with cloths and real cutlery! We are given menus even!! The choices are nothing flash, but better than the microwave fare from next door! Once in Orlando we collect our bags and then need to find transport to the hotel. We are approached by a guy with a van, looking for travellers, and he gives us a flat rate which we don’t know is reasonable or not but we take him on and hope for the best. He is a wealth of knowledge and is even happy to stop at an ATM for us. LOL, it’s either that or he doesn’t get paid! We take his card as we will most likely use him to get back to the airport when we are flying home. He is definitely on the level as he will charge us $40 to the airport, while the hotel has a van too but their price is $56.
Monday, August 9, 2010
SATURDAY 31 JULY
We are in Zone 1 which means our debarkation is at 7.30am. Nasty! But at least we don’t have to worry about our bags – until we get to the dock and they aren’t there!!
We are up for an early breakfast and Jess and I have our last omelette – they are so nice and are made in front of you to order. It seems the omelette chef has taken a shine to Jess as, on observation, she is the only one he ever smiles at or engages in conversation with! What is it with her and chefs?!
And so it is over. We are off the boat (with bags!) waiting for rest of the group, as we had prebooked our pickup with the Hotel. Unfortunately we are all off at different times so the wait is long! We say goodbye to Ginny (my partner in crime for red wine and shopping!), who is a resident of Florida and is being picked up by a friend.
Not all the rooms are ready but ours and Dan and Rhonda’s is. We drop our bags and go to Dan and Rhonda’s. Background story: Before the cruise the Stevens’ had booked for 2 nights. The Hotel was also the destination for a huge family reunion and quite a large number were staying on their floor. They partied so hard Dan complained of the noise and asked to be moved to a new room for the 2nd night. They were moved to a huge suite about 2-3 times the size of our room. They were also told that we would be “taken care of” on our return.
So our room is very nice and this time we have a great view out over the water. But Dan and Rhonda’s is HUGE! They are now in a 1 bedroom executive suite which is absolutely massive. Just as well, as there are quite a few of us to fit.
Jess is flying home today so we go with her to the airport to say goodbye. Suitcase is 6 pounds overweight and they charge her (make that us!) $50 excess. Must keep that in mind for when we next travel. We go back to the hotel and into the Business Centre to use the computer to work out what we are going to do for the next week. We know we want to go to Orlando but have no idea how to get there! The train option appeals as it is cheaper than flying, and so far we have only seen the country from 40,000 feet. It might be good to look out a window to see a different angle. We find accommodation at a Radisson property that offers free shuttles to Disneyland and Universal so we are set.
When we meet up with the others Dan has also been to the airport to pick up his new “daughter”. Dan and Rhonda have hosted 10 students over the past 11 years and their newest girl has been flown in by EF (the student exchange program) to meet up with them in Miami. They will spend a few days with her there before taking her home to Missouri.
Dinner tonight is at the Hard Rock Cafe and then, as this is farewell night for Pat and I, we go to the Stevens’ room for a few drinks. It is sad to say goodbye but we know the people we have spent the last week with will always be our friends.
We are up for an early breakfast and Jess and I have our last omelette – they are so nice and are made in front of you to order. It seems the omelette chef has taken a shine to Jess as, on observation, she is the only one he ever smiles at or engages in conversation with! What is it with her and chefs?!
And so it is over. We are off the boat (with bags!) waiting for rest of the group, as we had prebooked our pickup with the Hotel. Unfortunately we are all off at different times so the wait is long! We say goodbye to Ginny (my partner in crime for red wine and shopping!), who is a resident of Florida and is being picked up by a friend.
Not all the rooms are ready but ours and Dan and Rhonda’s is. We drop our bags and go to Dan and Rhonda’s. Background story: Before the cruise the Stevens’ had booked for 2 nights. The Hotel was also the destination for a huge family reunion and quite a large number were staying on their floor. They partied so hard Dan complained of the noise and asked to be moved to a new room for the 2nd night. They were moved to a huge suite about 2-3 times the size of our room. They were also told that we would be “taken care of” on our return.
So our room is very nice and this time we have a great view out over the water. But Dan and Rhonda’s is HUGE! They are now in a 1 bedroom executive suite which is absolutely massive. Just as well, as there are quite a few of us to fit.
Jess is flying home today so we go with her to the airport to say goodbye. Suitcase is 6 pounds overweight and they charge her (make that us!) $50 excess. Must keep that in mind for when we next travel. We go back to the hotel and into the Business Centre to use the computer to work out what we are going to do for the next week. We know we want to go to Orlando but have no idea how to get there! The train option appeals as it is cheaper than flying, and so far we have only seen the country from 40,000 feet. It might be good to look out a window to see a different angle. We find accommodation at a Radisson property that offers free shuttles to Disneyland and Universal so we are set.
When we meet up with the others Dan has also been to the airport to pick up his new “daughter”. Dan and Rhonda have hosted 10 students over the past 11 years and their newest girl has been flown in by EF (the student exchange program) to meet up with them in Miami. They will spend a few days with her there before taking her home to Missouri.
Dinner tonight is at the Hard Rock Cafe and then, as this is farewell night for Pat and I, we go to the Stevens’ room for a few drinks. It is sad to say goodbye but we know the people we have spent the last week with will always be our friends.
FRIDAY 30 JULY
Oh sad day, our last full day on the ship. A last load of washing gets done and the cases are packed. Our suitcases need to be outside our cabins by 11.00pm for delivery to the dock the next morning so we just need to keep out an overnight bag of things we will need until then.
We go to the internet cafe to put in footy tips but because of the time difference we’ve missed the Friday night game, but enter for the rest of the round. The connection is really bad and I keep getting bumped before I can hit the Enter button and can only enter tips for the family comp and not the work one. Such is life!
We meet for our final meal as a “family” then to Paparazzi for a farewell drink.
We go to the internet cafe to put in footy tips but because of the time difference we’ve missed the Friday night game, but enter for the rest of the round. The connection is really bad and I keep getting bumped before I can hit the Enter button and can only enter tips for the family comp and not the work one. Such is life!
We meet for our final meal as a “family” then to Paparazzi for a farewell drink.
THURSDAY 29 JULY
We dock at Grand Turk today and Pat is going deep sea fishing while Jess and I are going to swim with stingrays. If you can picture a tropical beach in the Bahamas with water so clear it looks like fresh water you could drink, you can picture Grand Turk. It is just a beautiful picture postcard!
Our ship has docked about 100 metres from the beach but it is in dark, dark water but the beach is so close and shallow. Pat later learns from his tour guide that the island is on a shelf and he watched as the depth sounder on his boat went from 30 metres to 500 meters – just like that!
Jess and I join our tour to head over to a tiny island to find the stingrays. With much trepidation, and visions of Steve Irwin, we enter the water. They were everywhere, and all sizes. We were told the little ones in particular are quite curious and may try to suck our feet. Oh joy – whose idea was this anyway? We are told to shuffle in the sand so we don’t step on them, as they like to bury themselves. Oh it just gets better!
So I am pretty much crapping my pants as these things are flashing past, and I’m beginning to wish the water wasn’t quite so clear, when our guides start lining us up to have our photo taken holding one. Oh pick me, pick me – let me be first. Well, you only live once so let me have my turn have my turn with the beast! We hold them on their belly and they are so unbelievably soft. Out guide puts it over our shoulder and head for the picture, but I decline to kiss it! This experience has completely removed all fear and I am now more than happy to have them rub up against me and a little one does actually suck the top of my foot!
Another boat arrives and the rays are herded over for the next “show and tell” and we snorkel for the next 15-20 minutes. Back to enjoying the clear water now as it just so beautiful to watch the fish swim in and out of their reef. It is such a pristine location that I hope never gets spoiled.
We are then given a demonstration on how to extract the inhabitant of a conch shell. This shell is about the size of a large (unopened) coconut – not the small ones you can buy in souvenir shops with your location painted on it – and the living creature in it matches the size. As it is dragged out I wonder, how does it fit! After the unnecessary bits are cut away the small, edible bit, is rinsed in the sea water and sliced off for us to taste. It seems sad that this creature was alive just minutes ago and now we are feeding on it.
So it’s another do I or don’t I moment so Jess goes first. We’ll share a slice but Jess declares it to be good enough not to share, so I get my own piece. The flesh is quite firm and chewy but I don’t really know how to describe it other than it tastes noting like fish.
We are taken back to the dock and run into Dan and Ginny while we wait for Pat’s tour to end too. He is supposed to be back not long after us but they seem to be running rather late, so we go off to eat. The place we go to is called Margaritaville and is a chain, similar to Hard Rock Cafe only better, started by Jimmy Buffet.
It is a fantastic place which is build around a pool area which also has a swim up bar in it! Entertainment was all around (audience participation) and was MC’d by a DJ! This was a lot of fun, and the food and cocktails are good too!
We came out and ran into Pat. It’s just as well we hadn’t waited too long for him as he had only just arrived back. It is not 4.00pm and the ship is leaving at 5.00pm so we wander back on board. The dress code for Dinner tonight is “Elegant” and while not mandatory it is a good excuse to dress up in the finest as best we can.
Each night on board there are photo opportunity spots set up, with the fake background etc, to have your picture taken if you want. Some of the people (quite a lot actually!) are really into posing in front of fake palm trees or Tuscan steps and so on, and it had been fun to watch (and bag out!) all the pouting lips and jutting chins, but tonight we all decide to join the throng!
Thankfully none of us are posers so we end up with lovely photo of an elegant group and a beautiful memory of time spent with new friends. So after our photo shoot we head up to Deck 5 and wander through the Casino, then to the Paparazzi Bar (which is fast becoming the “local”) to judge the “Fashions on the Field”!
A small aside about the Casino – a jackpot of over $63,000 went off on the first night at sea. We met the lady who’d won it the next night when we were watching players at a table, and she was still having a good time! Why you would spend a lot of money to go on a cruise just to put more over the tables, or in the slot machines, is beyond me, but there were a lot of people doing it. Paid off for one lady anyway, although I wonder how much of the rest of the boat she saw!
Our ship has docked about 100 metres from the beach but it is in dark, dark water but the beach is so close and shallow. Pat later learns from his tour guide that the island is on a shelf and he watched as the depth sounder on his boat went from 30 metres to 500 meters – just like that!
Jess and I join our tour to head over to a tiny island to find the stingrays. With much trepidation, and visions of Steve Irwin, we enter the water. They were everywhere, and all sizes. We were told the little ones in particular are quite curious and may try to suck our feet. Oh joy – whose idea was this anyway? We are told to shuffle in the sand so we don’t step on them, as they like to bury themselves. Oh it just gets better!
So I am pretty much crapping my pants as these things are flashing past, and I’m beginning to wish the water wasn’t quite so clear, when our guides start lining us up to have our photo taken holding one. Oh pick me, pick me – let me be first. Well, you only live once so let me have my turn have my turn with the beast! We hold them on their belly and they are so unbelievably soft. Out guide puts it over our shoulder and head for the picture, but I decline to kiss it! This experience has completely removed all fear and I am now more than happy to have them rub up against me and a little one does actually suck the top of my foot!
Another boat arrives and the rays are herded over for the next “show and tell” and we snorkel for the next 15-20 minutes. Back to enjoying the clear water now as it just so beautiful to watch the fish swim in and out of their reef. It is such a pristine location that I hope never gets spoiled.
We are then given a demonstration on how to extract the inhabitant of a conch shell. This shell is about the size of a large (unopened) coconut – not the small ones you can buy in souvenir shops with your location painted on it – and the living creature in it matches the size. As it is dragged out I wonder, how does it fit! After the unnecessary bits are cut away the small, edible bit, is rinsed in the sea water and sliced off for us to taste. It seems sad that this creature was alive just minutes ago and now we are feeding on it.
So it’s another do I or don’t I moment so Jess goes first. We’ll share a slice but Jess declares it to be good enough not to share, so I get my own piece. The flesh is quite firm and chewy but I don’t really know how to describe it other than it tastes noting like fish.
We are taken back to the dock and run into Dan and Ginny while we wait for Pat’s tour to end too. He is supposed to be back not long after us but they seem to be running rather late, so we go off to eat. The place we go to is called Margaritaville and is a chain, similar to Hard Rock Cafe only better, started by Jimmy Buffet.
It is a fantastic place which is build around a pool area which also has a swim up bar in it! Entertainment was all around (audience participation) and was MC’d by a DJ! This was a lot of fun, and the food and cocktails are good too!
We came out and ran into Pat. It’s just as well we hadn’t waited too long for him as he had only just arrived back. It is not 4.00pm and the ship is leaving at 5.00pm so we wander back on board. The dress code for Dinner tonight is “Elegant” and while not mandatory it is a good excuse to dress up in the finest as best we can.
Each night on board there are photo opportunity spots set up, with the fake background etc, to have your picture taken if you want. Some of the people (quite a lot actually!) are really into posing in front of fake palm trees or Tuscan steps and so on, and it had been fun to watch (and bag out!) all the pouting lips and jutting chins, but tonight we all decide to join the throng!
Thankfully none of us are posers so we end up with lovely photo of an elegant group and a beautiful memory of time spent with new friends. So after our photo shoot we head up to Deck 5 and wander through the Casino, then to the Paparazzi Bar (which is fast becoming the “local”) to judge the “Fashions on the Field”!
A small aside about the Casino – a jackpot of over $63,000 went off on the first night at sea. We met the lady who’d won it the next night when we were watching players at a table, and she was still having a good time! Why you would spend a lot of money to go on a cruise just to put more over the tables, or in the slot machines, is beyond me, but there were a lot of people doing it. Paid off for one lady anyway, although I wonder how much of the rest of the boat she saw!
WEDNESDAY 28 JULY
Today we are in St Thomas and Jess and Pat have booked to go parasailing. They have to meet at 10.30am so we all get off the boat early to go up in a cable car to the island lookout. Spectacular view but oh so humid - and it's only 9.00am!
We find an internet cafe so Jess can have a quick Facebook fix, and Pat can check the footy scores. They then head off to catch their tour and I wander through a few shops. Not the most impressive of shopping locations however I did manage to find a bangle which perfectly matched the stimulus package I'd bought in St Maarten yesterday!! So with that damage done, I thought it best to go back on board and do a load of washing.
We all met for dinner and then headed to Deck 5. This is the happening deck and houses about 5 different bars, a nightclub/disco, the casino, a shopping mall (maybe 4-5 shops) and one of the two entertainment auditoriums.
We had been in this auditorium on Sunday night to watch 2 comedians do a show but tonight we head to the Paparazzi Bar to do some people watching/trash talking! Such a fun pastime when we are so perfect LOL! Before you know it it's after midnight so the oldies go off to bed and leave the young'uns to party into the wee hours.
The 3 girls (Jess, Johanna and Yvonne) and Oliver (Yvonne's twin brother) are getting along like a house on fire and it's like they've always known each other and been friends.
We find an internet cafe so Jess can have a quick Facebook fix, and Pat can check the footy scores. They then head off to catch their tour and I wander through a few shops. Not the most impressive of shopping locations however I did manage to find a bangle which perfectly matched the stimulus package I'd bought in St Maarten yesterday!! So with that damage done, I thought it best to go back on board and do a load of washing.
We all met for dinner and then headed to Deck 5. This is the happening deck and houses about 5 different bars, a nightclub/disco, the casino, a shopping mall (maybe 4-5 shops) and one of the two entertainment auditoriums.
We had been in this auditorium on Sunday night to watch 2 comedians do a show but tonight we head to the Paparazzi Bar to do some people watching/trash talking! Such a fun pastime when we are so perfect LOL! Before you know it it's after midnight so the oldies go off to bed and leave the young'uns to party into the wee hours.
The 3 girls (Jess, Johanna and Yvonne) and Oliver (Yvonne's twin brother) are getting along like a house on fire and it's like they've always known each other and been friends.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
TUESDAY 27 JULY
We docked at St Maarten this morning but because this island is an unscheduled stop all of the last minute tours have been filled so none of our party have anything planned. We get off the ship and take a water taxi over to the main beach area.
St Maarten is the smallest island in the world to host two cuntries. We are in the Dutch part but tjhere is also a French side. The Glorius family have decided to rent a car and go of to sightsee. Dan and Ali head to the beach while the rest of us (Jess, Johanna, Pat, Rhonda, Ginny and me) head to the shopping precinct (which is actually only one street over and parallel to the beach). This is just what I was hoping to see in the Bahamas! It is a narrow one-way street and when a car comes along (not all that often) they are quite happty to wait until you notice them and get out of the way!
Pat gets bored quickly and heads off on his own, which is quite a lucky break as we girls head into a jewellry store! My intention was merely to buy a Pandora charm but apart from the fact they were really not that much cheaper than home, there weren’t any that jumped out and said “buy me”. So while I was waiting for Rhonda and Ginny, who were looking at diamonds, saw a few pieces that did attract my attention and I ended up leaving qite a large chunck of “stimulus package”in the store!!
They were so happy with how many greenbacks we left between us that they cracked open the bar and Ginney and I had a couple of red wines while Rhonda and the girls had a beer! They also gave us bags each which later prove to be quite handy beach bags. We then wandered down the streen browsing, before heading to the beach to chill. Ginny was having a ring resized and needed to be back at the store around 2.30pm so we rented chairs on the beach to wait.
First though, we came out of an icecream shop and walked down some stairs to the Boardwalk. I got a whiff of something distinctive so said in my best Carribbean accent, “Hey Mon, you be smelling dat?”, to which a black brodda sitting in a chair at the bottom of the steps, with a huge reefer in his hand replied, “Hey, it be here Mon. You be wantin’some?” It cracked me up!!
We ran into Pat so we hired 5 chairs (Rhonda and left us to go find Dan and Ali), 2 umbrellas and 7 drinks (beer, water or sodas) for $6 each. We swam and lazed until Ginny needed to go back to pick up her ring. I decided I needed a chain for the pendant I had bought so I went too. As soon as we walked into the sotre out came the cut crystal glasses and the red wine! Ginny ended up buying a bangle that I had been negotiating over (but decided I didn’t really need!) so they threw in my chain – and a 4-pack of wine!!
Back on the boat, we met up for dinner then moved up to the Lido Deck (pool) to watch the karaoke. Ralph had a go at another Frank Sinatra song but the surprise of the evening is Jess, who does two numbers – and not a bad job I might add!!
St Maarten is the smallest island in the world to host two cuntries. We are in the Dutch part but tjhere is also a French side. The Glorius family have decided to rent a car and go of to sightsee. Dan and Ali head to the beach while the rest of us (Jess, Johanna, Pat, Rhonda, Ginny and me) head to the shopping precinct (which is actually only one street over and parallel to the beach). This is just what I was hoping to see in the Bahamas! It is a narrow one-way street and when a car comes along (not all that often) they are quite happty to wait until you notice them and get out of the way!
Pat gets bored quickly and heads off on his own, which is quite a lucky break as we girls head into a jewellry store! My intention was merely to buy a Pandora charm but apart from the fact they were really not that much cheaper than home, there weren’t any that jumped out and said “buy me”. So while I was waiting for Rhonda and Ginny, who were looking at diamonds, saw a few pieces that did attract my attention and I ended up leaving qite a large chunck of “stimulus package”in the store!!
They were so happy with how many greenbacks we left between us that they cracked open the bar and Ginney and I had a couple of red wines while Rhonda and the girls had a beer! They also gave us bags each which later prove to be quite handy beach bags. We then wandered down the streen browsing, before heading to the beach to chill. Ginny was having a ring resized and needed to be back at the store around 2.30pm so we rented chairs on the beach to wait.
First though, we came out of an icecream shop and walked down some stairs to the Boardwalk. I got a whiff of something distinctive so said in my best Carribbean accent, “Hey Mon, you be smelling dat?”, to which a black brodda sitting in a chair at the bottom of the steps, with a huge reefer in his hand replied, “Hey, it be here Mon. You be wantin’some?” It cracked me up!!
We ran into Pat so we hired 5 chairs (Rhonda and left us to go find Dan and Ali), 2 umbrellas and 7 drinks (beer, water or sodas) for $6 each. We swam and lazed until Ginny needed to go back to pick up her ring. I decided I needed a chain for the pendant I had bought so I went too. As soon as we walked into the sotre out came the cut crystal glasses and the red wine! Ginny ended up buying a bangle that I had been negotiating over (but decided I didn’t really need!) so they threw in my chain – and a 4-pack of wine!!
Back on the boat, we met up for dinner then moved up to the Lido Deck (pool) to watch the karaoke. Ralph had a go at another Frank Sinatra song but the surprise of the evening is Jess, who does two numbers – and not a bad job I might add!!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
MONDAY 26 JULY
We are not due into San Juan (Puerto Rico) until 4.00pm. This was to have been a full day stop but because of the weather it has all changed. Jess and I had a city tour and shopping experience booked but the ship was late docking and we didn’t get off until 5.00pm. We have a booking tonight in the only restaurant onboard you pay extra for. It’s pretty swanky and have to be back on board in time to get ready for that. This means we get ripped off for the city tour, as after only 45 mins (of 2 1/5 hours) we have to be taken back to the dock. From all accounts we didn’t miss too much, and there is more shopping to come. We were dropped back at the dock and as we were heading toward the boat we saw people havig their photo taken with pretty birds. We had a few minutes to spare so we went to investigate. We had to pay for a photo (of course!) but after we had handed over the money we were allowed to take more photos with are own cameras.
But dinner in Harry’s Steakhouse is a dining experience I will most likely never have again! If a 3-hat restaurant is as good as it gets at home this place would have to be 5 hats. It was so good it was embarrassing! And that’s just the service; the food was a gastronomic orgasm LOL!! Four courses, plus a Chef’s complimentary tasting plate; I have no idea what it was but it was absolutely delicious.
I started with escargot and if I knew how tasty those slimy little buggers were I’d have thrown out the snail bait years ago! (They appeared on the regular menu a day or so later and I had them again but they were nowhere near as good. It’s obviously how you cook them.)
Next course was pretty much unforgettable (for me anyway) because I never usually have anchovies on my Caesar salad, but his is the real thing.
Mains – OMG!! The different cuts of meat (and lobster) are brought to the table for us to look at. The T-Bone is, no joke, at least 2 inches thick. There are “only” 4 chops in the rack of lamb but I’m sure it could feed a small country. It was cooked to absolute perfection and I would have loved to have been able to gnaw down on the bones, but hey, there’s still desert to come!
We had 2 deserts between the 3 of us as by this stage we are somewhat full but don’t want to miss any part of this experience! We had a lemon cheesecake and a chocolate tasting plate. The former was probably nice but compared to the latter – no contest! It was a three hour gourmet experience that sent me straight to bed.
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