2009

Caribbean Cruise

Thursday, January 22, 2009 Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Danni and I are going on our first cruise. We met in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a couple of days early and did a little bit of sightseeing. The first day, we stayed in town and explored the beach area and later had a good dinner at a local Cuban restaurant. I rented a cute little convertible (my first time driving one), and in the morning we decided to head to the Keys, thinking that the coastal route, rather than the freeway, will be the most scenic. Wrong! I guess that only happens in California on PCH. We end up taking 4 hours to drive 90 miles to the first Key and haven't seen the ocean since we left the Miami area. Well, we did stop to do some shopping along the way, too. And lunch. I bought a couple of really good Stell Drum CDs in a gift shop, and they were great company. We didn't make it to Key West, as it was getting late, and I don't like to drive at night. We headed back, stopping along the way for a nice seafood dinner in Key Largo.

Saturday, January 24, 2009 The Cruise Begins

We're up bright and early, have breakfast, check in the car at the airport, and take a cab to the pier. Lots of humongous cruise ships in port this morning! We join the masses in a line and fill out some paperwork. Our luggage is hauled off to be loaded. It's supposed to meet us in our stateroom. We pass through a security checkpoint and head into this huge hall, somewhat like an aircraft hangar, where we fill out some more paperwork. We turn this paper into a guy who, in exchange, issues us our passcards. We will use these to access our room, to purchase drinks, souveneirs, etrc., and also when getting on or off the ship.

After this, we finally board our awaiting ship, the Ruby Princess. It's incredibly beautiful! It's pretty new, having been commissioned just a couple of months ago, and it's bright and shiny everywhere you look. At last, we arrive in our room. Some of our luggage has arrived. It's an inside room a few decks down, slightly forward of midship. It'll do just fine. Plenty of closet space. Clean bathroom. Even has a little refrigerator. No hint of my claustrophobia makking its presence known.

Just after we arrive, I realize that I no longer have my camera bag. It's a large one, on wheels. Panic! I have my new little underwater camera with me, but it's just not the same. I cannot imagine spending a week on this trip without my SLR. We both head out, re-tracing our steps, and asking crew and security members if they have seen it. One whacko crew member, said we should just forget it, it's gone, no way it's still there, somebody already took it. Got past her and arrived in the hangar. Not at the desk where I got my passcard. Security hasn't seen it. Back toward the entrance, and there it is! Right where I left it when I was filling out paperwork. HUGE sigh of relief. Okay, I need a glass of wine. Time to break in this little card.

The ship left port in the evening. It was a wonderful warm, balmy night, with a beautiful sunset over Miami. The ship was full of life, everyone excited with anticipation, and exploring the upper decks. There are multiple pools, bars (15 of them), bands, and a movie for entertainment. There's even a steel drum player. And there is the fresh sea air and the stars above.

Sunday, January 25, 2009 At Sea

We're at sea all day today. The weather is comfortable and it's a great day for sitting topside and reading a book. You can't really feel the ship moving - it's extremely smooth. We 're off the coast of Cuba all day today and can see it in the distance.

We have dinner in one of the buffet restaurants. It's really quite good and the place is pretty classy. Not formal, but very nice.

Monday, January 26, 2009 Ocho Rios, Jamaica

As we entered the Ocho Rios port this morning it was raining lightly and there was an incredible full rainbow, part of it even double. The rain quit by the time we were docked, and we headed out. We had no reservations for shore excursions this morning, as I was on a mission to find a local steel drum band and beg to play a set with them. I asked a couple of people if they knew where I could find someone playing a steel drum, and was told that there might be someone at the marketplace in town. We headed there and were mobbed by independent "guides" who were anxious to nab their share of the tourist dollars. I had read that crime is fairly high in the town, and tourists should only take cabs sporting red license plates. We were told by a taxi driver that the marketplace wouldn't open until about 11 a.m., and he persuaded us to hire him for a tour of Ocho Rios for $30 each. I checked his license plates - front and back were red and they matched.

We drove up Fern Gulley, where the road is lined with 50 different types of ferns, truly lush. We then drove up and around Spice Mountain. The driver, Charlie, stopped at a stand where a man was creating and selling wood carvings. Behind the stand was a garden of sorts, with many samples of plants that grow in Jamaica. Jamaica is a tropical island, where everything grows. Charlie gave us a botanical tour of the area, showing us banana, coconut, nutmeg, key lime, old spice, and rubber trees. There were numerous flowering plants, including one that retreated when you touched it. Also, lemongrass, and the other kind of grass.

One of the excursions offered in Ocho Rios was a visit to a large waterfall, Dunn's River Fall, where people can scale the slippery rocks and slide into natural pools. We were not doing that tour, but our wonderful drive, Charlie, took us to the Dunn's River Fall parking lot, and told us that the fall was a long way from the parking lot, it was expensive, and it wasn't that great. I wanted to photograph the fall, but not necessarily climb it. He said that he had a better fall to take us to. Uh oh. Off we went. He took us to a quiet little campsite above the beach, inhabited by a couple of gentle, mellow Rastafarians. They offered us some coffee bean necklaces for sale, and then helped us climb down to a little, tiny waterfall. There is really no comparison to the Dunn's River Fall! I guess we weren't supposed to know the difference. They even took pictures of us with our cameras. Yes, I was wondering if we were going to make it back to the ship with all of our gear and money in tact. The Rastafarians were nice enough, but Charlies is a slick little weasel.

At the end of our tour, he took us to the marketplace for some shopping. Not a steel drum in sight. We went into a little gift shop that had very few items marked with a price. This seems to be the Jamaican way. Then we went to a little grocery store to buy some Red Stripe beer, the Jamaican national beer. It cost $0.90, and he pocketed my ten cents in change. I realized as we walked back to the car and I was sipping my beer, that he had expected me to buy him one, too. Oh, well, bummer.

He drove us back to the shops at the end of the pier and we each paid him. I gave him what I thought was a generous tip, but he was extremely unhappy and was yelling at us. He said he had expected $100 from us. Sorry, Charlie. I'm so glad to be leaving him.

As we disembarked the cab, a Jamican woman accosted me and said she wanted to braid my hair. now, my hair is very short and very fine. Not a lot to work with. I told her no, and continued walking, but she stayed right with me. Eventually, I said ok, and she spent about 5 minutes transforming my bangs into 10 1/2" long braids with purple and red beads. It's not exactly glamorous. The price? $45. WHAT????!!!! I don't like being ripped off, but I also don't like conflict, especially in a foreign country. I consider this a lesson learned the hard way. I paid her most of it and Danni and I went to find a restaurant for lunch. She followed us and made a scene at the restaurant, yelling at our waiter - she wanted the manager to give her a reward for recommending the restaurant to us. Another woman came by and criticized my braids. When we left, after enjoying a meal of jerk chicken, they were both waiting for me. Help!!!

Our introduction to Jamaica wasn't the best time I've ever had. Ocho Rios is a very, very poor community, and its liveliehood depends on the cruise lines. Ships come into port once a week and thousands of tourists arrive for a few hours. The competition among the locals for the tourist dollars is really fierce. If I were to come back to Jamaica some time, it would not be aboard a ship.

In the evening we enjoyed a show in the ship's theater. It was a musical that re-capped the tunes form about 20 Broadway musicals.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 Grand Cayman

I arose bright and early to see the sunrise over Grand Cayman Island, and then off for a morning of kayaking and snorkeling. We took the tender, a small boat, to the mainland and then walked to the kayaks. They were 2-person kayaks. We put on our life vests and paddled out in the harbor and then put on our fins and snorkeling masks. Into the water. It's a beautiful day and the air and the water are warm. But, wait a minute. I'm claustrophobic; how can I breathe with a mask over my mouth and nose? I can't. My guide tells me to put my face into the water. It's pretty down there, but I can't breathe! And, now I've suddenly forgotten how to swim. I decide to float on my back, but the mask fills with water. I'm going to drown! I'm having a real panic attack. No, I won't let go of the kayak; you can't make me. My guide is persistent, telling me that the worst thing I can do is panic and I am panicing. Yes, I am. I now that, but it doens't help a bit. I told him this was not going to happen today, but he persisted, brutally so, leading me away from the kayak. He pointed out some pretty little fish and I was beginning to relax a bit. He asked if I know how to swim. Of course I do. Just not today. I was finally relaxing enough to allow him to tow me around when we were finished at this diving spot and were moving on to another. The second spot was the site of a ship wrecked in a hurricane in 1938. Off I went, snorkeling on my own!! I finally recall how to swim. I'm actually enjoying it now and finally using my new underwater camera. And then, it's over. I climb back into the kayak and we head back to shore. It really was fun after I relaxed, and the water was absolutely beautiful.

We spent the rest of the afternoon hitting the shops. Grand Cayman is a stark contrast to Ocho Rios. There are many, many upscale stores along the waterfront, including many jewelry stores, all hawking diamonds. We each had a coupon for a free Margarita at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, so of course we had to go there, too.

Once back on the ship, I approached the steel drum player when he was on a break and asked if I could play for a few minutes some time. He was just about to start another set, and told me to come back during another break and he would let me play. I've just been playing for 4 months and have memorized a couple of tunes, but I need to practice frequently or I forget them. I'm renting a drum that has the notes labeled, and I notice that his does not. This might be a problem. In came back a little later and auditioned for him. I played a Jamaican song, "Water Come A My Eyes", and I was pleased to discover that I could locate the correct notes without labels. He was surprised and apparently pleased, as he asked me to come back tomorrow at 4:15 pm. We would practice a number together, with me in the lead and him playing backup. When the show starts at 4:30 and the lights and the mic come on, it would be me playing and we would surprise everyone. Pretty cool! Will it happen?

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Cozumel, Mexico

This morning we are going to be snorkeling and zip-lining. I'm hoping I can just jump right into snorkeling and enjoy it this time. I'm really looking forward to the zip-lining. We go topside and see Cozumel for the first time. It's flat. No trees. What kind of zip-lining can we do here? Uh oh.

We are met at the pier by a guide and some vans and are transported to a resort a few miles away. It's a very pretty place on the beach. We get our snorkeling gear and head to a small pier, where we go down a ladder to get into the water. I was ok for a few minutes, and then the panic hit again. I needed to get back to the pier. right NOW! It was too far away so I headed to the shore. It was lined with very sharp-edged coral and I was warned not to touch it. A guide finally gave me a flotation device to hold onto and I relaxed. I seem to be ok as long as I have something to hold onto. I don't get it. I spent the rest of the session on my own power, enjoying the fish and the beautiful, warm water. There were a lot more fish here than at the spot yesterday, inf fact, we even saw a stingray. I'm having fun with my waterproof camera.

On to the zip-lining. Without trees. The resort has a little area set up with 3 climbing towers, which are connected via rope bridges and a zip line. This is not what I had expected, not by a long shot, but we give it a try. Danni is afraid of heights, but she climbed the wall and repeled down. I climbed one wall about 2/3 of the way up and then just got stuck. There were no hand holds easily in reach. The nearest was too far above me, and I didn't have the strength to pull myself up to it. So, I repeled down. I love repelling. Haven't done it in years. To get to the faux zip-lining, I had to climb a short tower and then walk across a rope bridge. I did not enjoy the rope at all and was very nervous on it, but i really wanted to try zip-lining. Even faux zip-lining, so I did the tower and the bridge. The zip-line was only 25 or 30 feet long, strung between 2 towers, at a height of about 40 feet. Guess what? It was really fun! I went back and forth a few times, spinning around, no hands. It was a lot of work to get to the prize, but I think it was worth it. I'd really like to try legitimate zip-lining through a forest some day.

We spent the rest of our afternoon at the resort's patio bar, overlooking the beach. Sipping margaritas and savoring our accomplishments. We joined a couple of women from another cruise line and shared stories. It was an incredibly beautiful beach. I wandered around a bit with my camera and came across a guy with some rather large snakes. For a couple of dollars I could hold them. Cool. I had a couple of Boas and a Python wrapped around me. It actually felt pretty good, like they were hugging me.

Our excursion guide took us back to the pier and Danni wanted to do some shopping. I opted out and waited at a little bar overlooking the water and had a Margarita. A Grande.

By the time I got back on board the ship, I was a bit looped. I had a quick shower and went to my Date with Destiny, the steel drum. I met the drum player, Dewitt, and I started practicing. It wasn't pretty. He told me that this was not going to happen today, and I could come back tomorrow. I left, humiliated. I didn't return. but, at least I knew that, when sober, I had played respectably. And I didn't even need the cheat sheets.

Thursday, January 29, 2009 At Sea

It was a day of reading, relaxing, and soaking up the sun's warm rays. We could see Cuba in the distance again. Danni hit the bingo parlor.

Friday, January 30, 2009 Princess Cay

Princess Cay is a private island, owned by the Princess cruise line. It's really beautiful. There are lots and lots of water toys for rent, and lots and lots of beach chairs. It's sunny and warm and we spend most of our time sunbathing. We both get burned to a crisp. Danni even has blisters. We both know better, too.

We had reservations for a formal dinner tonight. I still have my red and purple beads in my hair, my skin is bright red, and I'm wearing a purple top. My reading glasses are a fashionable red and purple. The waiter comments on my knack for accessorization.

Saturday, January 31, 2009 Back On Land

We arrive at port in Fort Lauderdale bright and early. Disembarking is pretty organized. We're all color-coded and assigned a meeting place and a specific time to meet. Our luggage was picked up last night; it's also color-coded. We find it in a pen, claim it, and head to customs. There are lots of custom agents, and the lines move fairly quickly. Then, it's on a bus and off to the airport.

I really enjoyed being on the ship. It's amazing, but even with literally thousands of passengers and crew members, it never really seemed crowded. The excursions were fun, but I didn't feel like I really saw any of the countries we visited.