Tag Archives: caribbean cruise

Maasdam Visits Tortola

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Maasdam docked in Road Town, Tortola, BVI

We sit in Road Town internet café

Yeste3rday afternoon we finally posted blogs covering the past three days, it’s obvious we’ve been having some “technical difficulties.”  And we needed to spend as much time as it took to get them straightened out so they won’t reoccur again.
     The problem is not the internet service aboard the Maasdam. The satellite link can be fairly fast. The problem is on our end, and after spending an afternoon online it appears we have the kinks worked out.
     Unfortunately, the repair process took most of the afternoon.  And since we didn’t dock in Road Town on Tortola until around 11 a.m., we didn’t see much of anything.  Nothing really to blog about what we did, what we experienced.
     Except we found a really good place for inexpensive internet located on the right just outside the gates of the cruise port.  It’s in a small building whose main business is renting cars and motor scooters. Called Urban Rental, I never would have found it except someone on the ship recommended it.  The sign is small and the “Internet Café” part is secondary.  They charged us only US$5 an hour. 
      You can either rent a computer or connect your own to their wireless. The computer room is well air conditioned but loud: You’ll likely be hearing the owner and his friends outside colorfully discussing everything from politics to insurance.  If certain words offend you, consider the internet café behind the Banco Popular just another block down on the right. 
      Since you’re not likely to be dealing with technical problems on your trip, suggestions about what to do (I’ve been here numerous times before).   Take an excursion to Virgin Gorda and the remarkable rock formation known as The Baths where huge boulders created a series of pools along a section of beach.  Diving and snorkeling always are good in calm weather, though the British Virgin Islands are not noted for outstanding visibility.  Or you can walk an actual hiking trail on Tortola’s Sage Mountain, the highest point in the BVI’s.
     You’ll find plenty of shopping just outside the port gates in a series of white tents immediately on the left. They all seem to have pretty much the same thing.  Moving farther downtown, Pusser’s Pub is know for its rum and sailing apparel; Eddie Bauer–type garb with a nautical flair.
     Perhaps the most original store is Sunny Caribbee Spice Shop and Art Gallery. A Road Town institution in business for over 25 years, Sunny Caribbee sells its own blends of jerk, curry, teas and hot sauces from mild to xxx hot. Two of their best sellers are the Arawak Love Potion and West Indian Hangover Cure, both available in wooden apothecary jars. Check out their wares online at www.sunnycaribbee.com. Their mailing address is St. Thomas, which means surprisingly low shipping costs, including regular U.S. priority mail rates.
      Linda and I hope we’ll be able to post daily from now on. If there is another problem, and we pray there won’t be, we’ll catch up with our posts as soon as we can.  No more sitting in internet cafes for hours at a time when it prevents us from getting out and about.  If we do, we’ll have nothing new to write about.  Like today.

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Le Cirque Comes To HAL

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New Le Cirque Dining Debuts on Maasdam
Hello from the high seas somewhere between the Bahamas and Tortola! Tim and I had a beautiful day yesterday on a self-guided tour of Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private island in the Bahamas. Half Moon Cay has one of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen.
     The crescent shaped white sand beach was like a Cheshire Cat smile against the brilliant blue green of the Caribbean Sea. HAL has done a great job with the beach facilities from private cabanas to tropical mist huts and foot showers along with the usual lounge chairs and hammocks.
     Kids can enjoy a playground area with the usual slides and swings but also mini wooden pirate ships outfitted even with a ship’s wheel.  I overheard one little girl telling her grandfather (or father?) “We can’t leave until we go on everything here”.
     After our rough start, things seem to be settling down.  Except for the seas.  We all look like drunken sailors as we attempt to maneuver the long hallways.\
     I took a cooking exhibition this morning with Chef Das who previewed the new Evening at Le Cirque by preparing a lobster salad and a crème brulee from the menu of the famous New York restaurant. The Evening at Le Cirque is a brand new addition to the fine dining in the Pinnacle Grill, not debuting on any HAL ship until Nov. 21–and lucky for us–the Maasdam is the first to introduce the experience.
     With a 3 star Michelin rating, experts rank Le Cirque as one of the world’s best restaurants in the world, so this should be fun! Plans call for HAL to have this available on all its ships by the end of December.  Evening at Le Cirque is supposed to be featured at least once on every cruise. In addition to serving food from Le Cirque’s menu, the Pinnacle will be redecorated with artwork from the New York restaurant. 
     As Chef Das prepares the lobster salad and crème brulee, he seems to glide as he puts everything together.  Wonder if I could move so effortlessly? Maybe if I, too, had everything already cooked, sitting there waiting for me to whisk the final sauce and put together a magnificent presentation.
     The best part of the demonstration was when Chef Das whipped out a propane torch to brown the top of the brulee.  Then we were served tiny ramekins of the crème brulee, thank you very much that, and it was amazing.  Each spoonful was a delicate but firm vanilla cream that fused with the crunchy caramelized topping to create that famous brulee burst of flavor.
     Assistants handed out cards with the recipe for each item. Unfortunately, the lobster salad would be expensive to make at home due to all the special vinegars and oils used that I don’t have on hand in my pantry.  One especially useful tidbit I learned was not to use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil in
cooking but only for salads because it burns too easily and tastes rancid. 
     A great day and look forward to tomorrow in Tortola.
     by Linda O’Keefe

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A Half Moon Day

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OK, I now understand its appeal

     Virtually every Holland America Caribbean cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale includes a stop at Half Moon Cay, the cruise line’s private island in the Bahamas.  Which is why I’ve avoided short Caribbean cruises on HAL. I’d rather be spending time on one of the islands instead of what essentially is a water sports playground for adults and kids.
     So it’s ironic that 3 days on this 35-day cruise will be at Half Moon Cay. Which, after actually seeing it instead of making a biased assumption about it, I won’t mind going back to Half Moon Cay. No way you can see it all in one day and the activities are a capsule of the best Caribbean attractions: horseback riding on a beach, feeding stingrays, mangrove kayaking and fast jet-ski excursions.
     Most of all, there is the truly spectacular one-mile long white crescent beach bordered by bird’s egg blue waters.  It is a remarkable blue color, which I remember seeing in only one other place, in the Dominican Republic.  But that beach was bare of trees where Half Moon Cay’s has a thick shade canopy thanks to the casuarina (Australian pine) trees flanking it.
     If you know Caribbean beaches, think a combination of Seven-Mile Beach on Grand Cayman and Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos.  Only Half Moon Cay is better—no high-rise condos or development anywhere except for 15 brightly colored wooden shade canopies clustered in a small section of the beach.  They look like mini Bahamian homes, so they fit right in.
     HAL is known for appealing to an older age group but construction at Half Moon Cay disputes that. The playground with mini-galleons Linda mentions in her post look new. They are being joined by a huge wooden Spanish galleon under construction well back from the beach. It is large enough to handle scores of kids or adults.  Put a big pirate flag on this impressive vessel and it is a definite winner.
    There’s another new exhibit on the way, which I’ll tell you about on my next Half Moon Cay visit.  You won’t hear much about my third visit there. I intend to spend all my time in one of the shaded beach hammocks.   
    Seeing made me a believer in Half Moon Cay. Besides all the activities, I know we won’t see a better beach for the rest of the entire trip. Something everyone else will realize at the end of their cruise, whether they’re aboard for a mere 14 days or the full 35.

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The Maasdam Sets Sail

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And we leave too much behind

It was smart to rent a car to drive from our home port of near Orlando to Fort Lauderdale, where the Maasdam was docked.  At under $100, better than flying and no port parking fees to pay.  And since we had a 24-hour rental, I picked up the vehicle the day before sailing so we could do some preliminary luggage loading.

     Luckily, when I picked up the car, I mentioned to the Budget Rent-A-Car rep at the Embassy Suites hotel in Orlando why I’d chosen to drive to the Fort Lauderdale Airport:  because several people in one of the on-line cruise forums said you could take a free shuttle to the your ship.
     He told me, “Then you don’t want to drop your vehicle off at the airport. There’s no shuttle there.” And so he changed my drop-off to a Budget location where a shuttle runs continually from 11-1:30 to Port Everglades.

     I filled the gas tank before dropping off the car (otherwise it would be US$7.50 a gallon if the rental car company did it). The shuttle had us aboard the Maasdam by 1:30, in plenty of time for lunch and a relaxing afternoon to unpack.
     As we began opening camera bags and suitcases, everything quickly went sour. Where was my Blackberry (enabled for global roaming) that I swear had been in the rental car’s console on the way down? Budget checked but turned up only a spare pair of sunglasses we’d left behind.  Told them we’d pick them up Dec. 17.

    I called my cell phone number. It rang but no one answered. I kept getting cut off before I could leave a message.  Not good!  Now need to notify Verizon to suspend my service immediately. Probably going to be getting a new Droid sooner than I thought.
   The next morning we discovered our supply of toothpaste and my tooth brush (only!) along with my favorite wide-brimmed hat, essential for me in the Caribbean, had disappeared to join my Blackberry. It turned out more or less important odds and ends also positioned right beside the suitcases somehow never were packed.   

    Fortunately, the tranquil and scenic departure from Port Everglades was not troubled by next morning’s blame game of he-said/she-said.  From the top deck of the Maasdam, the slowly passing coastline view was better than from a low-flying helicopter. No rotor noise, only the sound of the steel band playing to celebrate our departure
    Once we entered the Atlantic, reggae quickly was replaced by rock ‘n roll as we encountered apparent wind speeds of a brisk 48 knots.  No problem. We always choose a mid-to-low deck cabin toward the stern, where the more muted side-to-side motion is a wonderful way to fall asleep.

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My 35-Day Caribbean Itinerary

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Here’s how you can spend 35 days in the Caribbean

     This is where we go, and when.
    I guess I should point out that I’ve paid for this cruise and am  not a guest of Holland America or the ms Maasdam.  This is cruise is an incredible value, although after three stops I suspect I’ll get tired of Half Moon Cay.

                               THE GRAND ITINERARY

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE   DEPART
Fri Nov 12 Fort Lauderdale, FL   5:00pm
Sat Nov 13 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00am 4:00pm
Sun Nov 14 At Sea    
Mon Nov 15 Tortola, British Virgin Islands 11:00am 8:00pm
Tue Nov 16 St. Barts 8:00am 5:00pm
Wed Nov 17 Fort-de-France, Martinique 8:00am 5:00pm
Thu Nov 18 Barbados 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Nov 19 Grenada 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Nov 20 At Sea    
Sun Nov 21 Bonaire 8:00am 5:00pm
Mon Nov 22 Curacao 7:00am 11:00pm
Tue Nov 23 Aruba 8:00am 5:00pm
Wed Nov 24 At Sea    
Thu Nov 25 At Sea    
Fri Nov 26 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am 5:00pm
Sat Nov 27 Nassau, Bahamas 7:00am 2:00pm
Sun Nov 28 At Sea    
Mon Nov 29 San Juan, Puerto Rico 10:00am 8:00pm
Tue Nov 30 St. Barts 9:00am 5:00pm
Wed Dec 1 Roseau, Dominica 8:00am 5:00pm
Thu Dec 2 Antigua 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Dec 3 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Dec 4 At Sea    
Sun Dec 5 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00am 4:00pm
Mon Dec 6 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am 5:00pm
Tue Dec 7 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00am 4:00pm
Wed Dec 8 At Sea    
Thu Dec 9 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 10:00am 7:00pm
Fri Dec 10 St. Kitts 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Dec 11 St. Vincent 10:00am 7:00pm
Sun Dec 12 Barbados 8:00am 5:00pm
Mon Dec 13 St. Lucia 8:00am 4:00pm
Tue Dec 14 St. Maarten 9:00am 8:00pm
Wed Dec 15 At Sea    
Thu Dec 16 At Sea    
Fri Dec 17 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am  

 
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Caribbean Cruise – What To Pack

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Consider These The Bare Essentials
 
 Which clothes to pack for a Caribbean cruise is simpler than you think. Your two most important considerations are comfort and practicality.
     Before deciding what to pack, do your homework first to narrow your focus and eliminate the urge to throw things in the suitcase at the last minute for “just in case.”
     Make a list of every day’s port of call and the activities you plan to participate in at each.
      How many days do you spend at sea? That requires almost no wardrobe. You can spend the entire day in a bathing suit if you wish.  
     Now that you know your itinerary, get down to serious business.  Remember, most people don’t dress or look like the models in cruise advertisements. There’s no need to break the bank on clothing for a cruise.  Save your money for fun things to do at the different ports you’ll be visiting.  
     Most things you need are in your closet.
     The usual basics are best for both men and women.  
     For men: Slacks and a polo-style shirt are appropriate attire for a man at dinner and the shirt can be worn the next day with shorts.  The only night men need a coat and tie is the formal evening.
     For women: Don’t limit yourself to dresses and heels–you may regret it. Dinner wear is actually fairly simple. For daytime, bring a pair of light slacks and a pair of black slacks with blouses or tanks.   Formal night is whatever you want it to be but slacks with a dressy blouse are fine
      Footwear: A must have item are black walking/tennis shoes.  Both for men and women. Yes, even on formal nights.  Ladies, trust me, in rough seas walking can be tough and you don’t want to be in heels. Who’s going to look at your feet anyway?  
      Why such casual footwear? Your cruise ship’s main dining rooms may not be located on the same floor as your stateroom. So, you may have to climb stairs and walk from one end of the ship to the other—in rough seas. Be comfortable. You’re on vacation.
     Sweater: Even though it’s warm and humid in the Caribbean, air conditioning can make dining chilly.  A good investment for a woman is a nice light-weight black sweater.  It can be stuffed into a carry-on bag and pulled out at a moment’s notice to dress you up while wearing casual slacks.
     Two bathing suits are all you need to carry on board.  One to wear while the other one dries.
     Cover ups are important to remember but towels are furnished poolside and for beach trips in port.
     Snorkel equipment is usually included with shore excursions. But if you have your own gear, bring it. Then you’ll know your mask won’t leak and the fins won’t blister your feet.
     Lightweight rain jacket just in case liquid sunshine decides to dump on you. Some rain jackets fold into themselves to make packing easier.
  Small rain umbrella when combined with lightweight rain jacket is as much good luck as you can possibly pack to stave off rain. Cruising during the Caribbean’s usual January-April dry season is the most powerful rain deterrent
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A 35-Day Cruise – Forget Driving & Parking

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Although the following nuts and bolts relate to my extended 35-day cruise, the situation applies to everyone wanting to slash both their travel costs and port parking charges.   

My 35-day Caribbean cruise aboard the ms Maasdam departing Nov. 12 from Fort Lauderdale comes with a few problems. Most important is determining the most efficient (cheapest) way to travel from the Orlando area. Driving my own vehicle is out of the question with Port Everglades charging $20 a day for parking. That will come to $700 or about 25percent of the actual cruise cost. Forget that.

Going by air is not feasible. Although the distance between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale is only about 215 miles, flying is an unreasonable and expensive proposition. Except for Spirit Airlines, whose direct flight with a very good schedule is only $120 per person roundtrip. Unfortunately, based on flying Spirit, I will never ever fly Spirit again. The airline doesn’t know what a schedule means. Further, luggage and a glass of water or anything (besides toilet paper?) on Spirit will be an extra charge.

Southwest Airlines with two free bags per person is a more attractive alternative but the roundtrip fare still is about $200 per person.  AirTran, a favorite that does not fly directly to Fort Lauderdale, is $373. The best Priceline comes up with is $688 with multiple stops on Continental. Ridiculous since I can fly Continental from Orlando to San Diego for about $300.

My best option is a rental car. Using my discount as a member of BJ’s Wholesale Club, Budget Rent-A-Car rents me an intermediate vehicle from Orlando to the Fort Lauderdale International Airport with drop off there for about $100. The cost for the return is the same. I like that.

The Fort Lauderdale airport happens to be so close to the Port Everglades cruise terminal that rental car companies provide a free shuttle to the ships.  Now, that’s a deal!

Perhaps most importantly, the amount of luggage is irrelevant. It does take a lot of luggage for a 35-day cruise. More importantly, there is the matter of souvenirs. Cruise lines don’t care how much you buy as long as it all fits it in your stateroom and can  leave the ship with the rest of the baggage.

So I also will be bringing some extra suitcases, empty when I depart but packed solid when I return. And have no concern about their weight. The varieties of Caribbean hot sauces will weigh at least 20 pounds, if not more. And if I see another 35-pound carved wooden mask to add to my collection, so what?  Or a painting that I can hand-carry off the ship and not worry about being crushed in airline luggage.

Point of all this: Consider your best option for traveling to the port regardless of cruise length.

But with 35 days at sea, there still is more to consider. As you will see in tomorrow’s blog

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A 35-Day Caribbean Cruise? For Real?

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The typical 7-day Caribbean cruise may be fine for most people but I find them disappointing. Just as you’re becoming accustomed to ship-board life, it’s time to return to port. And 7 days, even from Florida, doesn’t offer the chance to travel very far.

Still, when I spotted a 35-day Caribbean cruise aboard the ms Maasdam on VacationsToGo.com, I thought it had to be a misprint. Thirty-five days is a third of the length of most around the world voyages.

Yet it was true, a 35-day tour of 19 different islands with only two repeats—St. Barts and Barbados, two of my favorites. Plus three stops at Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s water sports playground, and two returns to the home port of Fort Lauderdale.

cruise-ships-maasdam

The Maasdam, My Future Home For 35 Days

The 35-day cruise is actually a piggyback of three different itineraries of the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, including such rarely visited islands as St. Vincent and Martinique and quite a few ports off the regular milk runs: St. Barts, St. Croix, Grenada, Aruba Bonaire and Curacao.

The Maasdam, carrying only 1,250 passengers, is able to visit these islands that mega-ships ferrying between 4,000 and 5,500 cruisers cannot dock at and whose ports cannot handle such hoards of cruisers. Long live the smaller ships!      

Perhaps the most amazing thing of all is the price of this itinerary. Including government taxes and port charges, it averages $73.35 a day for an inside cabin.  (Hey, I’m a blogger!) My wife and I signed up for the cruise, which departs from Fort Lauderdale in just 10 days.   

But planning for a cruise of this length presents some unusual problems. Living in Orlando, it’s not worth flying to Fort Lauderdale but Port Everglades charges $20 a day for parking ($20 x 35=$700). Has to be a way around that!

Join me and Linda on this blog for the next few days as we check off and solve the problems before sailing and anticipate a few issues we expect to encounter on board.

Then follow us as we explore the islands and life on board the ms Maasdam for more than a month.

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