Fort-De-France, Martinique

Tuesday, March 28

Fort-De-France was established by the French in the early 17th Century as a naval base. However today it specialises in rum, sugar, fruit and cacao exports, along with tourism of course. 

Today the ship literally docked in the old town area, so it was easy to walk to all the main attractions. We got a map with a walking tour on it and set off, aiming for the local market. This place was alive with colours, smells of cacao, vanilla and cinnamon, and people, so it was a good choice to get to know some locals.

We then checked out the theatre, the Hotel de Ville (or city hall), the Cultural Centre and the Saint-Louis Cathedral - unfortunately this was undergoing renovations so we couldn't see inside it. Nearby was the Schoelcher Library which is housed in an architecturally brilliant building. This building was erected in France for the Paris Exposition of 1889, and then shipped piece by piece to Martinique, and now stands as a monument to slavery abolitionist Victor Schoelcher.

We passed a colonial style pavilion building which is now used for computer studies, then Government House, and then the Museum of Archaeology on our way to the Saint-Louis Fort. On our way back to the ship we walked through La Savane park and then along the waterfront.

We really enjoyed it here as it really felt like a French seaside town but with a Caribbean flavour - the currency used here was even the Euro, so we felt at home. 

Bridgetown, Barbados

Monday, March 27

Today was a lot brighter so we decided to include a beach stop on the tour we did. From the ship we could see a modern looking building, and it turned out to be part of Kensington Oval, the famous cricket ground here. There was a statue of Sir Garfield Sobers in the grounds, and nearby was a museum on the cricketing greats of Barbados but unfortunately we didn't have time to visit it.

Our driver Chico took us past these places and pointed them out, but we were the only ones interested as the rest of our group today were Americans! Barbados was colonised by the British nearly 400 years ago, but has been independent for 50 years. Bridgetown and the nearby Garrison area is UNESCO World Heritage listed, and we passed lots of colourful old houses as well as lots of big, expensive ones. Chico showed us the house where Rhiannon lived, and apparently Oprah interviewed her sitting on the little front porch.

We drove along the east coast of the island and passed lots of magnificent beaches. Chico drove us through the Sandy Lane Golf estate, which is where lots of movie stars have very expensive houses, and it's also where Tiger Woods got married. On one of the little lanes Chico spotted a Green monkey and managed to coax it to move so we could see it - a great experience as these monkeys are unique to Barbados.

From there we visited St James Parish church, which was first established back in the early 1600s after the British came, and lots of politicians and royalty attend church here when visiting. Then it was into the interior of the island and the Highlands area (about 1100 feet above sea level) where we enjoyed rum punch, some wifi and magnificent views over the east coast and the Atlantic Ocean coastline.

On our way back to Bridgetown we passed a flower plantation where there were acres of red ginger lilies in bloom, then some sugar cane plantations as well as spotting some black bellied sheep - again unique to the island. We wanted to swim so Chico dropped us off at a beach on Carlisle Bay where the tropical multi coloured water was so inviting. Again it was a case of "walk right in" and it was so clear with a nice sandy bottom. Both of us swam and enjoyed the sun on this island in paradise.

Castries, St Lucia

Sunday, March 26

After a leisurely breakfast we headed off on a 2 hour taxi tour of the island with some other passengers from Koningsdam. Being a Sunday most of the shops and markets were closed in town, so it was good to get out and see some of this island. Again the weather wasn't the best for the beach, and we had a few showers during our tour.

First stop was a lookout which gave us a great view over the harbour and made our ship look small! Next up was an old fortification where the British and French had fought one of their 14 battles for this island. It was 7 all but as the British won the last battle St Lucia became part of the British West Indies. They achieved their independence 20 years ago but are still part of the Commonwealth, so they have a Governer General and we drove past Government House where the GG resides.

A bit further on we came to Morne Fortune, which is where some battles were fought and is where the old British barracks are located. Now they have been converted into the main college on the island, but they still have that old time look. There is also a cemetery here, with monuments to the island's two most famous people (apart from cricketers) - both of whom were Knights, with one winning the Nobel Peace Prize and the other won the Pulitzer Prize. Derek Walcott only died last week and was buried here last Friday, so that was really recent!

We then visited an art studio where they carve wood (mostly local woods) and make other genuine souvenirs - these were a long way ahead of the "everywhere" Chinese souvenirs! Our final stop was at a banana plantation where we tasted some local spiced rum and other products made from bananas. All in all it was a good tour, and just before we left the sun has finally come out!

Philipsburg, St Maarten

Saturday, March 25

It was a bit overcast and windy, but nice and warm, however it was not the best day for enjoying the beach, so we decided to walk into town and see some of the sights. In addition we only had 6 hours in port, and after 2 days at sea we also needed to catch up on emails, etc.

There were 5 ships docked in port today, so there were lots of people about. Around the port area there were some nice statues and memorials to local people who had played an important role in St. Maarten's maritime history, which made the walk into town very interesting. Some of the old heritage buildings have been preserved, and these have been converted into shops - lots of shops, mainly jewellery, watch, clothes and duty free shops! There were also lots of bars and restaurants along the waterfront, and you could hire deck chairs, umbrellas and towels to use along the beach, so it was a colourful site.

We tried the local liquor made from guava berries that are local to this island, and it certainly packed a punch. Philipsburg is on the Dutch side of the island, which covers about 16 square miles while the French side of the island covers about 21 square miles. We will aim to see more on a future visit!

Two Days at Sea - Take 2

Thursday - Friday , March 23-24

We left Fort Lauderdale a little late on Wednesday night, but we have 2 more relaxing days at sea before our first stop on this part of our Caribbean cruise. One of the new specialty restaurants on the Koningsdam is Sal de Mer, a French style brasserie, and we enjoyed a lovely seafood meal there on Wednesday night.

The next morning we walked around the deck, then enjoyed some time in the sun. However it was a bit windy and the clouds were rolling in, so we went and watched a movie before dining at the Pinnacle Grill. They do the best steaks and we had a delicious French red to go with it.

Friday we awoke to rough seas, grey skies and rain, so the outside decks were closed to passengers! As the day progressed and it became mistier it looked more like an Alaskan cruise instead of a Caribbean cruise! We walked around inside for our exercise today, but also attended a talk on future cruises, and spent some time chatting to new friends.

We had an early meal in the main dining room, then went to the show. Tonight was a ventriloquist comedian and he was excellent - he had everyone in stitches with his gags about travelling, people and places. We finished our night with a movie, so we're catching up on some we missed when they were in the theatres. 

Fort Lauderdale turnaround

Wednesday, March 22

The Koningsdam docked around 6am this morning and the disembarkation commenced about 7am for those leaving today. However we are staying onboard for another 11 days, so we exited for a few hours while they prepare the ship for the next batch of passengers. We caught a shuttle to a nearby shopping centre and checked out the local shops before getting a shuttle back to the ship in time for the emergency muster drill at 3pm.

We will be at sea for the next 2 days so again won't have wifi until we arrive at our first island on this leg of our Caribbean cruise.

Two Days at Sea

Monday - Tuesday, March 20-21

To return from Aruba to Fort Lauderdale we have 2 relaxing days at sea to enjoy the luxury of the Koningsdam. On Monday we had an invitation to attend a Mariner's award ceremony and lunch - this is Holland America's loyalty program, and the top recognition was a couple who have cruised 1188 days with HAL! We met some interesting people as well as enjoying a lovely lunch.

To fit into our clothes for the formal dinner tonight we walked around the ship for about 40 minutes! Tonight's meal was "surf and turf" which was delicious. The final big production show for the first leg of this cruise was excellent, with the singers doing most of the entertaining tonight, ably assisted by the band.

Our second day at sea was even more relaxing, with a get together with our American friends for farewell drinks before dinner the highlight of our day. We will miss them but at least we get to visit the Brooks and Buchanans in Texas when we do our land tour after this cruise.

Oranjestad, Aruba

Sunday, March 19

Noelle's English cousin Sheila and her husband Peter have retired in Aruba, and they were at the port gate to meet us at 8am. It was great to see them again and we were all very excited to catch up after last seeing them in London in 2008!

They took us to their favourite restaurant for brunch, and it was right on the beach with a beautiful view to enjoy while eating an Aruban breakfast. The ham and cheese were in little pastries the shape of a pastie and went really well with the eggs. After brunch we went on a sightseeing tour of the main attractions, passing some lovely hotels and resorts as we went. Aruba seemed more developed than the other Dutch Antilles islands we've visited, and we could see why they chose to retire here. As well as direct flights from Europe it's not in the hurricane belt!

Our first stop was the California lighthouse where we had great views over the coast, and could clearly see where the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean met. Next stop was the Alto Vista church, set on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean coastline, and it was very quaint. From there we visited the Natural Bridge, which is on very rugged part of the coast, but the "big" bridge had collapsed 2 years ago, so there is just the "baby" bridge left. At another stop we saw some amazing impressions in the rocks of different corals, kelp and seaweeds, and it was easy to tell which was which. 

They then drove us to their home where we enjoyed some refreshments around their pool, chatted and had a lovely relaxing time. Unfortunately the time to return to the ship came around all too soon, but they allowed time for a quick swim at their favourite beach so we could do some snorkelling. It was sad to say goodbye but we know we'll see them again - who knows where?







Sent from my iPad

Willemstad, Curacao

Saturday, March 18

We met up with our friends and arranged a 2 hour tour of the island with a taxi driver. The 8 of us were taken on a tour of the various neighbourhoods within Willemstad, taking in the downtown area where we saw a floating fish market, a fruit and vegetable market, the historic colourful colonial buildings (which are UNESCO listed) and some of the forts located around the harbour. Another highlight was the pontoon pedestrian bridge, which opens to allow small boats through by moving the bridge!

We were also taken across the huge bridge that crosses the inlet that goes inland to the oil refineries, with the oil coming from nearby Venezuela. Our next stop was a nice beach resort and port on the other side of the island, and apparently a lot of Dutch people come here for holidays. On our way back to the ship we passed through some of the expensive housing estates, and we saw some impressive houses with hedges of magnificent bougainvillea and other tropical flowers. We even saw some iguanas on these hedges and some colourful little birds.

The final stop was the Curacao liquor factory where the famous Blue Curacao is produced. It was interesting reading about how it is made, and at the end of the tour we got to taste the blue liqueur , a tamarind flavoured liqueur and a coffee liqueur - just what you need when it's 30C outside!

After lunch we walked from the ship to the downtown area and took in all the sights again by foot, so we got to see the sights up close and personal. This included enjoying a beer by the waterfront, and even saw the bridge open very wide to let a big ship into the inlet. When the bridge is open they operate a ferry so people aren't inconvenienced. Again it was another enjoyable day in paradise on the biggest island we've visited so far.

Kralendijk, Bonaire

Friday, March 17

This morning we docked in Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire. This is a former Dutch colony so it has a very Dutch influence with it being the official second language. Again the water looked magnificent and very inviting, but first we took a walk into town to check out the shops and to find wifi!

We enjoyed a nice coffee while we caught up with emails etc, then walked along the foreshore, admiring the colourful fish that were swimming close to shore. We got a good pic of a turquoise blue parrot fish, and there were fish of all colours and sizes clearly visible. Our next stop was a seafood restaurant, but as we had just finished breakfast we went for a cold drink and a chat.

On the way back to the ship we checked out the buildings and shops along a different street, and again they were brightly coloured and some were over 100 years old. They are trying to hold onto their heritage here, which is good, as there are a lot of new developments but at least they are being built so they blend in with the older style buildings.

After lunch we went to a nearby beach for a swim and snorkel, and again there were lots of fish, large and small, some more colourful than others, not far from shore. The water was "walk right in" temperature which is how we like it. It really is one tropical paradise after another on this cruise!

Day at Sea

Thursday, March 16

We always sleep well on the ships, and today was no exception - being a sea day we didn't set an alarm! Jackie and Ken had invited us all to their suite for brunch, consisting of snacks and Bloody Mary's. It was a fun time with all 10 of us together.

After lunch we went to a meet the cast and crew of the stage shows, followed by a tour back stage - it was very insightful. Then it was off to a Beatles "concert" by the 2 pianists preceding the release of a limited edition Beatles watch.

Tonight was a gala night so we put on our "formal" gear and headed to dinner which for us consisted of shrimp cocktail, pepper coated tenderloin steak and delicious strawberry sensation. It was one of the nicest meals we've had on a ship!

The show was a combination of the previous night's magician and the comedian from the first night - both were excellent and we had a lot of laughs. It was a great way to finish the night.

We're having trouble loading pictures so will do so when we get this problem sorted out.

Amber Cove (Puerto Plata), Dominican Republic

Wednesday, March 15

Amber Cove where we docked in the Dominican Republic (DR) is a dock and tourist complex built by the Carnival Corporation in 2015 for use by its ships on Caribbean cruises. They have done a great job building it in sympathy with the local colonial architecture as well as creating a lot of jobs for the locals.

Our group of 10 hired 2 taxis to take us on a 2-3 hour tour of Puerto Plata, with the highlights being a tour through the Amber museum (fantastic specimens), a walking tour of the downtown area, and a visit to a fort. 

DR has a large supply of amber which they now mine in caves, and they also have a blue variety which only shows as blue in natural sunlight or under a UV lamp. The museum was excellent with some of the best specimens we have seen! The downtown walking tour took us to Parque Central, which was surrounded by colourful colonial buildings on 3 sides of the square and the Catholic Cathedral on the other side. In the middle was a rotunda and statues of their founding fathers, with lots of wrought iron seats and lamp posts, so it was very colonial in style.

From there we were taken to a cigar factory owned by a friend of the taxi drivers, and the smell of the fresh tobacco leaves was like smelling chocolate! We got to roll a cigar and keep it, but who knows if they will ever be smoked. Next was a friend's souvenir shop while we waited for the drivers to bring the taxis to us, and then it was a nice drive along the beach road to the 16th century Fort of San Felipe. This was a lot smaller than the ports we have seen in Europe but fascinating just the same.

On our way back to the ship we stopped at a rum factory, but no one wanted to do the tour so we bought a pineapple and rum icy pole - just what you need to cool you down on a hot day! Our impression of DR was that it wasn't as "third world" as we thought, although still a poor country. We certainly appreciate how blessed we are to live where we do.

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

Tuesday, March 14

The Koningsdam docked next to its little "sister" ship the Niew Amsterdam today in Grand Turk in the British West Indies. We had a sleep in as we didn't dock until 11 and we were meeting our travel companions at 1pm. The scenery was fabulous again, but it was windy and not as appealing for another day on the beach.

We decided to do a tour of the island in a taxi, and after negotiating a deal we set off to see the sights. The island is typical in that it's not very high above sea level so when a hurricane hits it causes a lot of damage. Our guide told us a number of buildings were damaged in the 2008 hurricane and they were still being renovated! They rely mostly on tourism so at our first stop in town at the market we all bought beers and snacks while we checked out the souvenirs on offer. 

The next stop was at the old lighthouse that was built in the UK and transported in pieces to the island in 1852 - however we couldn't go up it as it was being renovated! Wild donkeys roam around the streets and there were a number here, including a very cute baby donkey. On the drive back we went past the expensive houses which had great views over the Atlantic Ocean, and again the colours of the water were incredible. As the island is only about 12 kilometres long the tour only took about 1.5 hours, so we had some time to catch up on wifi!

On our way back to the ship the beach looked a lot more inviting so I went for a quick dip - the water was superb and so clear. It was another great day, and our first in the West Indies.

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Monday, March 13

As the ship sailed through the night we were gently rocked to sleep and awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready for our first taste of a Caribbean island. Half Moon Cay is in the Bahamas and is an island that is owned by Holland America, so we had it all to ourselves (ie. the 2,500 people on the Koningsdam!).

It was a sunny day with clear blue skies, and the most beautiful turquoise coloured water - just what the brochures and magazines show as a Caribbean island. We were tendered ashore by the shore based tenders which carry about 300 people, so there was no waiting. We travelled with Pat & Burgess and Margie & Kim, and the 6 of us found deck chairs by the edge of the water to recline in and admire the view. We went for a walk on the most talc like sand we have ever been on, and took in the sights. There were mini cabanas or brightly coloured shacks with their own facilities to be rented, as well as all sorts of water sports and tours that were on offer.

We chose to return to our deck chairs, and then go for a swim. The water wasn't cold, so it was straight in - even Noelle didn't hesitate while Alan tried his new snorkel, mask and flipper set. It was fantastic, and etched in the memory bank forever.

The ship was only visiting here for half a day so we reluctantly reboarded to continue our cruise, but we visit this island on our return to Fort Lauderdale at the end of our cruise.

The show tonight was the first performance of the singers and dancers, and it was a very high energy show, which they perform 3 times in the one night, as well as rehearse during the day. Not show how they do it but they are young and fit!!

We finished our night in the Piano Bar where the 2 pianist sing and "duel" with each other on the keyboards - they are also very talented as well as entertaining. It was a great way to end a very memorable day.

Fort Lauderdale

Sunday, March 12

We didn't get the best night's sleep due to some noise from some young guys on Spring break, a change in direction of the planes taking off from the nearby airport which meant they were coming directly over us, and the winding forward of the clocks! There was also some excitement at boarding the Koningsdam today and catching up with our American friends.

The shuttle we booked for 10:45 arrived at 11:15, and after the short drive to the Port Everglades Cruise terminal we then had to negotiate our way around this massive terminal - the Koningsdam was berthed at pier 26, and there were about 8 big cruise liners in port today! After the formalities and check in procedure we finally reached our room around 12:30.

We set off to explore this new ship and got as far as the Dining room so we detoured there for lunch. On returning to our room our luggage still hadn't arrived, so we walked up to the Lido deck and had a look around before the Safety drill started. The new procedure involved being directed to your cabin to watch the safety video, and at the appropriate alarm we were instructed to go to our muster station. These are now set up inside the ship, so no more standing on the Promenade deck near your life boat in the sun or rain or cold! We thought this was a better procedure and seemed to go smoothly.

As our luggage still hadn't arrived we went to the sail away party and caught up with Bill & Linda - it was great seeing them again. We are on the early dinner sitting so after our drinks we all went to dinner and caught up with Burgess & Pat, Ken & Jackie, and a new couple Kim & Margie (friends of Bill & Lindas). Our table of 10 had a lot of fun and plenty of catching up to do!

After dinner we took in the show - a comedian who was very funny, and then checked out the band at the B B Kings Blues Club who were excellent. Then it was time to go and unpack so we could get into bed!

Sent from my

Fort Lauderdale

Saturday, March 11

After our late night we slept till we woke up, and had a lazy afternoon around our hotel. We visited a local shopping centre called Southland, but it wasn't up to its namesake in Melbourne! We also went for a walk to check out a nearby marina, and it was certainly impressive with so many boats of all sizes, including super yachts, making the most of the waterways that inter connect around the Fort Lauderdale area. There's plenty of wealth around here, but most of the tourists at this time of year seem to be taking cruises from the nearby port.

Unfortunately this is the weekend that the clocks have to be wound forward as the US heads into Spring, but to us it means losing an hour's sleep! Oh well, we have 3 weeks of cruising coming up so I'm sure we'll catch up.

LA to Fort Lauderdale

Friday, March 10

After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast we got the hotel shuttle bus back to LAX for our flight to Fort Lauderdale. Unfortunately after checking in we were informed that our flight was delayed by at least an hour - this was going to mean sitting around the airport even longer as well as not getting into FLL until about 10:30pm!

When we did finally board our plane and take off the pilot informed us that arrival time was going to be about 10:25pm, so we settled in as we couldn't do anything about it! We finally arrived, collected our luggage and then waited for our shuttle bus. It eventually arrived and we finally checked in to our hotel about midnight. As we arrived so late the restaurant and room service were closed, so we ordered Italian and were told it would be about a 45 minute wait - this turned into an hour and a half and we were starving! The food was good and we finally got to bed about 2:30am, but in West Coast timing it was only 11:30pm, so not too late a night.

Travelling certainly teaches you patience and to relax and go with the flow, but days like today seem like a waste - however sometimes you have to have days like this to get from one place to another. At least we arrived safely and it is a long way from Melbourne to Florida!!

Melbourne to LA

Thursday , March 9

As we were flying Business class we were able to access the Air NZ lounges, which came in handy in  both Melbourne and in particular Auckland, where we had a 5 hour layover. The soft leather seats were nice and big, and the food delicious, along with excellent service. The leg from Auckland to LA fitted in well with our body clocks, as by the time we had our dinner and watched a movie it was time to sleep. The crew converted our seats into beds, complete with mattress and lightweight doona, and we had a very comfortable 6 hour sleep. We had time for a light breakfast before we arrived in LA, nicely rested but spoiled for any future flights in Economy!!

We reached our hotel and got sorted, then had an enjoyable meal and drink before having an early night ahead of our trip across the US tomorrow.