Trip Report - Part Three!

Today I really am going to tell you about Grand Cayman.  As many of you who know me are aware, it is one of my favorite places to visit.  I have often dreamed of selling all of my worldly possessions, packing up my two cats and going to GC with nothing but a bag full of shorts and flip flops and starting my own charter boat business.  Although it is an expensive place to live, I figure I could do just fine with a little shack on the beach.  But until that happens, maybe I should just tell you about the day I spent there last week.

Wednesday - Grand Cayman

Originally, Jenny (the travel buddy) and I had thought we might rent a car and get around GC on our own.  But it seemed like it was going to be a huge hassle to pick up and drop off the rental car and we didn't have that much time on the island anyway.  So we didn't want to spend a big part of it dealing with logistics.  So just a few weeks before we left, we decided to go ahead and book an excursion.  I have been to GC before on several occasions but it was Jenny's first visit.  Since she had never been to Stingray City before, we decided to do the excursion where a Catamaran takes you out to Stingray City.

Our excursion wasn't set to begin until 1:30 and we were able to get off the ship at around 10 a.m. so we got off the ship in the first tender and headed to shore.  Jenny wanted to shop for some black coral jewelry and we had decided to have lunch on the balcony at Breezes by the Bay.  After a few hours of walking shop to shop we each wound up with a tee shirt but Jenny didn't find the black coral that she had been looking for.

Around noon we went into Breezes and got a prime table right away.  Considering that there were 6 ships in Grand Cayman on Wednesday and George Town was packed with shoppers, I wasn't too optimistic about being able to get a table on the balcony or that the service would be up to par.  But we were pleasantly surprised.

There, I got the best mojito I have had in a very long time and ordered coconut shrimp from the appetizer menu.  They also had coconut shrimp on the entree menu, but I didn't want all the other stuff that comes with a meal and on the appetizer menu they gave you a choice of 4, 6 or 8 shrimp.  I got the 4 pc. shrimp order and wished I had gotten the 6 pc. because it was the best coconut shrimp I have ever had!  It came with a spoonful of black bean and corn relish that was delicious and the sauce for the shrimp was outstanding.  Jenny got a 4 pc. order of sliders of which she was only able to eat two.  The meat patties on her sliders were very thick.  Her sliders came with fresh made potato chips.  I had one of them and it was great.

One of the things I like best about Breezes is the view of the harbor.  It is a great place for people watching or to just sea how pretty the water is and watch the ships tenders come in and out of the harbor.  The next time your ship stops in GC, I would highly recommend a visit to Breezes.  You can see from the pictures below how great our table was.  All of the tables on the balcony offer the same view.  There is also a bar on the balcony.  So, even if you are only stopping in for a drink, you get the same fantastic scenery.  This is a pretty crummy picture of me, but I wanted you to be able to see the view behind us.

After lunch we went over to Margaritaville which is right across the street and I got a ball cap to wear during our Stingray City excursion.  We each had a Landshark upstairs in the restaurant and I took Jenny's picture with this friendly guy who just wanted to be a part of the group....

Once we finished our beer it was time to go over to the pier and head out on our excursion.  For the excursion, we were taken by bus across the island to get on the catamaran which was over near the yacht club.  The name of our catamaran was the Cockatoo.  As we waited for the last group of people who went out to unload, it was surprising how many had been on board.  They had over 60 people in their group.  We had 18 in ours.  On the ride over to Stingray City, everyone relaxed and a lot of people laid out on the trampolines on the front of the boat.

 In case you don't know anything about Stingray City, I'll tell you that it is basically a sandbar off the shore of Grand Cayman.  You can see in the picture below the waves breaking on the sandbar.  But keep in mind that it is a mile or two off shore.  So, it is really weird to see waves breaking that far off shore.  Back in the day, fishermen would clean their catch out there and throw the scraps overboard.  That attracted the rays and before long, they started bringing tourists out to the sandbar to feed the rays who race up to boats as they arrive.  In the picture below you can see the black spots in the water as  we approached the sandbar.  Those are hungry rays.

The rays on the sandbar go from baby which had a wingspan of about 12 inches to big bull daddy which can have a wingspan of 4 feet.  Our guide told us that most of the interaction is with the females since the males don't like to be handled too much.  When you go out there, you are always encouraged to feed the rays from the buckets of squid that each boat carries, you get your picture taken kissing a ray which supposedly results in 7 years of good luck and on this day, they ran a ray across your back for what they called a "ray massage".  Anytime you got close to the squid bucket, the rays would rush toward you and practically knock you down trying to get the squid from you.  The guide also told us that they get the same rays on a daily basis and that the ones they handle for pictures and so on are usually the same ones since they sort of "know" them.

I think we were probably the last trip of the day out to the sandbar for the Cockatoo.  By the time we got back to shore it was pretty late in the day.  While we were out there, the number of boats was much smaller than I had seen out there before.  I think this was due to the later timing of our trip.  That made it very nice.  We were swarmed by rays since there weren't so many boats out there and there were a lot fewer people on our boat so you had one on one time with the crew.

 I took dozens of pictures out there.  So, these are just some of them.  When I was there before, all of my pictures were from the waters surface.  Now I have an underwater camera, so I just held it under the water and pushed the button every every few seconds.  Doing that, you were almost sure to get a ray in every shot because they were everywhere!

Close up, this guy looks kinda creepy!

Yes, that is a ray going between someone's legs!

After we got back to the bus, the driver told us that he was going to take some shortcuts and drive a little fast in order to get us back to the ship in time.  He was true to his word.  Everytime I've ever been to Grand Cayman the afternoon rush hour traffic has come to a complete halt around 5 and this day was no exception but the driver did a great job cutting through residential areas and was able to cut off some of that traffic.  Our last ships tender was set for 5:15 p.m.  We got off of the tender at exactly 5:15!  I think there was probably one that left the pier at 5:15, but regardless, we were cutting it close.

While we waited for the tender to leave shore, we got to see the most spectacular sunset, you might recall that I used it as the top picture on the blog a few days ago.  We joked as we sat there with another tender in front of us which was blocking the view as tourists swarmed the front of the boat trying to take the picture.  We figured that the tender captain was like "What????  It's just a sunset.... we get 'em like this everyday!"  But it really was beautiful.

Trip Report - Part Two

In today's trip report, I'll try to cover Cozumel and Grand Cayman although, both of those will be difficult since each of these days were packed full of fun things.  But here it goes....

It's Tuesday, we must be in Cozumel

We were supposed to meet at the end of the pier for our excursion at 9:30 on Tuesday morning.  We didn't bring watches that we could wear on excursions, so my sense of time was all messed up.  Since I wasn't sure what time it was, I was rushing Jenny as we left the ship.  Once we got to the end of the pier, we found out that we were like 30 minutes early and then had to wait around.  So, that was kind of annoying.  Finally, after waiting around for a while, our group was ready to head off on the Dune Buggy and Beach Snorkel excursion.  I had been on this excursion before several years ago.  About a year after the first time, I went on a Jeep and Beach Snorkel and both of those excursions were identical with the exact same stops and the very same route.  I expected this one to be the same but I was in for a very pleasant surprise.

We started out with me driving our dune buggy.  The gears are hard to find in these old beat up dune buggies with VW engines.  Anytime you get it in gear, you really can't afford to question which gear it is, you just have to go with it.  We took off leaving town and since there was no speedometer or mileage thing, I'll just estimate and say that about 6 or 7 miles down the highway we turned onto this dirt road which took us past the lighthouse and to a place where there were already a big group of dune buggies parked on the side of the road.  To the right you could see what looked like a lookout tower of some kind.  Our guide took us down the road a couple of hundred feet and to a small Mayan ruin on the left side of the road.  He told us what the ruin would have been used for back in the day and blew on a conch shell for us.  

Our dune buggy pre-rain.

The guide "Willie" blowing on a conch shell in front of the Mayan ruin.

After the conch shell demonstration Willie took us to the other side of the road to look at the crocodiles.  Now keep in mind that about 30 yards behind Willie's back in this picture is the Caribbean Sea.  About 100 yards in front of Willie is a grassy, marshy area full of crocs living in the wild and eating whatever they want.

 Willie told us that the crocs in Cozumel migrated from Africa.  Don't ask me how, I don't know.  Maybe they hopped on board a boat at some point.  Anyway he said they first came to Cuba and then they made their way to Cozumel.  He said that they don't get as big as the ones in Africa simply due to the diet.  (There are no wildebeests for them to eat in Mexico, so they have to survive on scrawny deer and raccoons.)  So basically, you walk about 100 yards out on this boardwalk and suddenly you are standing over this water and there are crocs below you who look kinda hungry.  Willie got a big stick that was leaning against the boardwalk and splashed the water around some so that the crocs would come closer... because apparently somebody wanted them closer. So, anyway the picture to the left is the place and the picture below is a close up of one of the cute and cuddly little guys.  Adorable, huh?

I can only assume that the vulture below was waiting for me to fall in the water so that he could clean up the leftovers.  He was out of luck, I didn't fall a single time all day long....  Not the same could be said for some of the other days on this trip.  ADIOS VULTURE!!!!!

After looking at the crocs, we got back in the dune buggies and went further down the dirt road.  This time it was Jenny's turn to drive.  Right after we got back in the buggy, it started raining.  Let me tell you that an open top dune buggy, a white dirt road and rain do not mix well.  Anytime we hit a puddle, white mud splashed up on us and we were a mess before we got to our next stop where Willie had us park and get out.  He told us to bring all of our stuff.  It was still raining as we left the dune buggies.  We walked through the mangroves until we came to the beach where we were going to spend some time, snorkel, shop and have lunch.  It was a nice place.  Below are a few pictures of the rainy part of our drive.  Thank goodness for water cameras!

 On the beach there was a big pavilion that Willie had everyone grab tables in.  Then he told those of us who wanted to snorkel to grab our gear and follow him.  We all went down to the beach and snorkeled for 45 minutes or so.  As far as beach snorkeling in Cozumel goes, it wasn't bad.  The reef was not too far off shore and we saw plenty of fish.  The rain continued the entire time that we snorkeled.  But, what the hell, we were going to get wet anyway.  So, you may as well have a good time.  The only complaint was that the rain was kind of cold.  But we all survived.  There was a very loud and annoying woman along with her husband who were part of the snorkeling group.  It was her first snorkeling experience.  Prior to leaving the city, she and her husband held us up as they negotiated a price with Willie's partner for joining us.  Apparently, they had not booked this excursion on the ship, (if they were even on a ship).

Once we were on the beach and ready to start snorkeling we all had to wait again while Willie explained to her how to wear her snorkel gear and exactly how to snorkel.  As we stood on the beach in the cold rain and he explained it she complained that we were standing out in the rain rather than under the pavilion.  By this time, I had had enough of her and informed her that she was going to get wet anyway once we were in the water.  She probably didn't like me much after that.  But it was ok, because the feeling was mutual.

After snorkeling, we were supposed to eat lunch and if you wanted to buy any junk from the vendors in the pavilion, you could shop.  There were fresh water showers in case you wanted to rinse off and change clothes.  I just threw my cover up on once I started to dry a little.  The obnoxious woman and her husband, shopped while the rest of us ate.  The food wasn't very good, I would recommend waiting until you are back on board the ship unless they drastically improve the food in the future.  When Willie came back over and said it was time to go, the obnoxious woman decided it was shower time!!!!!  We all went out to the dune buggies as Willie had told us to do, while the obnoxious woman and her husband showered and changed.  It took Willie at least 20 minutes to finally get the two inconsiderate idiots to their vehicle.  We all dried our seats while we waited since they had filled up with rain water while we were enjoying the beach.

Next time you are on an excursion, listen to the guide and follow his instructions and don't make people wait on you, or you could become the subject of someone's blog and not in a flattering way.

After leaving the beach we headed back in the direction from which we had come stopping at the lighthouse.  I had seen the Cozumel lighthouse on occasion but always from a distance.  So it was nice to finally get to stop there.  We had the opportunity to climb to the top, but I didn't.  I did buy a black coral cross from someone who was selling trinkets there.  Then Jenny came and found me and said that down by the water, there were iguanas.  So, I followed her.

Iguana!

Terri and her friend Kerri on the beach.

Willie feeding a wild raccoon!

Following the stop at the lighthouse, we left and headed back to the pier.  It was a fun day overall in spite of the loud obnoxious woman and the rain.  In fact, the rain might have made it a little better just because it was sort of fun riding around in a dune buggy in the rain.

At the beginning of today's post, I said that I was going to try to cram Cozumel and Grand Cayman into this post.  Well, I wasn't able to do it.  So, tomorrow, you will get to read all about Grand Cayman and our time with the stingrays.  Have a great Wednesday!  Oh, by the way, the picture at the top of the blog is from snorkeling in Cozumel.

Caribbean Cruise Trip Report Part One

Okay, the real trip report begins today.  First of all, I told you before we left that we would be parking at Lighthouse Parking in Galveston.  We had prepaid on line and it cost $55 for the week.  They are still in the same pot hole ridden shell parking lot, but now they have put metal structures up over the parking areas so that all of the parking is covered.  It is fenced and secured.  the pot holes aren't the sort that your car can fall into and never be seen again.  So, for $55 a week, it is well worth the money.

After parking we were picked up at our car, our luggage was stowed on the bus and we were taken across the street to the terminal.  From driving into the parking lot to standing in line in the terminal took about 15 minutes total.  Once in line things moved fairly quickly.  The only glitch came when one of the members of our party went through security and was carrying a pocket knife with him.  He was searched, the knife was confiscated and he was given a claim number so that he could pick it up when he returned.

Once we were on board, we went straight to our cabin.  This is my second aft cabin and I must tell you that I have not been disappointed either time.  If you are into balconies, you simply must take this route.  Previously, I had been in an aft corner balcony which wrapped around the ship on Rhapsody of the Seas.  It was huge.  Since this cabin was not on the corner and it was on a Voyager class ship, I had little faith that it would rival that Rhapsody balcony but I was shocked!  The balcony was large enough for two lounge chairs,  a small table and two other chairs.  As we left port in Galveston on Sunday, I brought the vanity/desk chair out of the room and we could have brought another chair out if there had been one.  Six of us enjoyed our deck as we left port with no trouble moving around at all.

As it turns out the corner balcony on Voyager class ships is actually smaller than this one.  We were next door to the corner and I peaked around to take a look.  Their balcony was sort of disappointing compared to ours.  Our cabin was 9692 and it was sandwiched between a suite and a corner cabin.  This position resulted in absolute peace and quiet.  Since it was at the very back of the ship, there was no hallway traffic noise.  We also never heard a peep from anyone in the cabins on either side of us except occasionally while we were on our balcony and they were on theirs.

Inside our cabin might have been slightly smaller than other balcony cabins.  But since I would rather be on the balcony anyway, it worked for me.  If I were going on a Panama Canal cruise or an Alaskan cruise, I would book as far in advance as necessary in order to get a cabin like this one.  The other great thing about it is that it was very well protected from the wind.  On our balcony, we would actually be hot since there was no wind to speak of, but when we went up on deck, with the wind, it was kind of cool outside.  I think this wind protection makes it ideal for Alaska.

Following muster, but prior to leaving port, my travel buddy Jenny and I split up in the Promenade to get provisions for leaving port.  Jenny went to the pub and got us a couple of beers, while I went to the Cafe Promenade for sandwiches and pizza to take to the cabin.  With drinks and food in had we made our way to our little piece of heaven on the back of the ship and took pictures of dolphins feeding as we pulled out from Galveston.

Monday - Day 2

Bingo time!

Monday dawned overcast and just a little too cool to sit out in the rain.  Don't get me wrong, it was warm enough to sit out on the balcony as long as the rain wasn't coming down.  But it wasn't possible to go up on deck to enjoy the outdoor pools.  So, after breakfast Jenny and I caught up with the others in our party who were playing Bingo.  We watched for a while.  I am not a Bingo person.  So, it seemed to drag on for a very long time to me.  We hadn't had much time to explore the ship prior to this point.  So, we made our way around different areas and found some things to do.

Monday was a formal night so we actually ran a little short of time since we had to go up to the cabin and dress for dinner.  However, Jenny and I have priorities, so we were able to make it down to the Champagne Bar early enough for a glass of bubbly prior to dinner.  Ever since our first cruise together, a pre-dinner drink has been our one constant tradition that we do not stray from.

Following dinner, we went to a game show in the Lotus Lounge where they play music and then the contestant has to finish the songs verse when the music stops.  It was a lot of fun and filled with 70's, 80's and 90's music.  Since we had so much fun there, we made our way up to Deck 14 following the game show to finish the night watching karaoke.  I'll never tire of watching people who have been told their entire lives that they are perfect in every way embarrass themselves. :-)

For a day in which we saw no sun and were at sea all day, Monday was a very busy day.  Tomorrow, I'll tell you about our first stop in Cozumel.  Have a great afternoon!

Even a dreary rainy Monday is better when it is at sea!

Let the Post Cruise Blogs Begin!

From left to right, me, Mom, Dad, Doris, Don (Jenny took this picture, you'll
see plenty of others that she makes it into).

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!  Another cruise is in the books.  It was a great cruise for me.  Others might not have felt as great about it.  There was a stomach virus outbreak on the ship while we were out this time.  It didn't get me or my cabin-mate, Jenny.  But others that we were traveling with weren't so lucky.  My Dad and our family friend, Doris both got it.  Doris had a pretty bad bout of it and had to get medication from the ships physician.  Dad's was a little less severe.  But even so, he said that it left him feeling very weak for a couple of days afterward.  Apparently a number of people including Doris were quarantined to their cabins for a period of time.  It sounded like it must have been a really miserable bug and I felt awful that Doris and Dad got it.  But what all of it meant for me was plenty of great chairs available on deck during the two days at sea following our final stop.

First of many sunsets from our aft balcony.

 I will tell you that as soon as the outbreak began, Royal Caribbean went to great lengths to make sure that everything that could be done was being done to keep it from spreading.  For a period of about 24 hours it became very difficult to find a surface on board including tables and hand rails that wasn't covered by soapy disinfectant and water.  There were multiple announcements regarding sanitizing and hand washing.  I think that if someone had tried to walk around the sanitizing stands into a dining room without sanitizing first they may have been tackled.  But it was all good.

We first got wind of the outbreak during our excursion in Jamaica when two of the 8 people in the group came down with it.  When one of the men in the group vomited at the end of a 30 minute van ride, I thought he was carsick.  But then later one of his traveling companions told us that he had started getting sick the night before.  That was when I knew that we had been exposed to something.  As the day went on his wife came down with symptoms, as well.  When we got back to the ship that evening, the captain began making announcements stressing that everyone was to "sanitize, sanitize, sanitize and wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands".  He urged anyone experiencing symptoms to contact the ships physician and stated that there would be no charge for seeking treatment and finally he said  that the crew would no longer shake hands for the remainder of the cruise as a precaution.  It wasn't until the next night that Dad and Doris became ill.

This was the first time I have ever experienced anything like this on a cruise ship in more than a dozen cruises.  Although, the people who actually became ill may have felt differently about it, I thought that everything that could be done was being done and at the same time, activities continued for the many people on board who were not effected.  And again, the end result for me was lots of empty chairs on deck.... BONUS!

One of the views to be had from our great deck chairs....

One of my biggest concerns was that since this was Doris and Don's first cruise, it might turn them off from cruising.  But Doris assured us as we left that it did not ruin it for her.  Additionally, Doris and Don were offered $200 off of their next cruise to help make up for her illness and quarantine.  I'm pretty sure that the same offer was made to most others who required medical attention due to the bug.  In the next few days, I'll tell you all about the cruise, but for now, I'll just leave you with a few pictures of some of the highlights.  Have a great week!

Jenny with a new friend she found in Grand Cayman. :-)

The beach in Jamaica at Montego Bay.

Sting Ray City.... You're going to get sick of seeing all of the pictures I took there!