Tuesday/Wednesday January 2-3, 2024

After a long day of uneventful flying, (flying East from Vegas is spectacular!) we arrived at our hotel in Ft Lauderdale, The Delmar and Elements. We were met at the airport by the same little lady as last time. We had a personal limo driver take us to the hotel. All this was arranged by Holland, as part of the package - very appreciated! This hotel is very modern, right in downtown FL.  Excellent view from the 22nd floor!

After a very nice breakfast at the hotel, we met up with the rest of the Holland group and took the bus over to the Cruise Ship Terminal. It seem like pandemonium, but the whole operation is very efficient as they check boarding passes, screen luggage and issue ID cards for the 2000 passengers! We we on board by 1:00.

Our stateroom on the Volendam is #7028, right near the elevator, which we like. It eliminates the need to walk long ways down long corridors!

The Celebrity Equity and Holland's Zuiderdam are docked here as well; the latter is heading out for a 120 day "World Cruise"......yikes!

Our luggage didn't arrive at our room until around 3:00. The weather is quite cool, and a bit windy, so being on deck wasn't terribly appetizing. We had a light lunch in the Lido, put away our clothes and enjoyed a rum drink at the bar.

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For our dinner tonight we went to the Pinnacle Grill Steakhouse. Fabulous steak and scollops! Our server was a delighful fellow named Troy, an Indonesian. He explained that nearly 1/2 of the staff on the ship are from Indonesia (about 600 people)! He's been with the company for 15 years and, as they transfer from ship to ship, he's been all over the world. He works 8 months, then gets a break to go home to his family of three sons! Quite a life!

Tomorrow the beach!

Thursday January 4th Half Moon Cay

We arrived at Half Moon Cay, a small island owned by Holland America (actually the parent company Carnival) in the Bahamas. After my half dozen laps around Deck 10 and a nice breakfast in the Lido, we boarded a tender boat for the short trip to shore; there is no dock here.

This island is noted for its beautiful, white sandy beach, stretching for a long way around the "Half Moon". I was dissappointed, however, to find that the water is pretty cool! I swam a bit just to say "I swam in the Caribbean", but it was not pleasant!  It was a beautiful place, though. The sand was fine and the colors in the water were spectacular.

We enjoyed a fine buffet lunch in the shade. The crew had dragged everything from the ship to set up shop! A lot of work! 

The sun was very strong so we returned to our ship in mid afternoon. Then dinner in the Main Dining Room.

This is our fourth Holland Cruise. We were on this very ship last spring for the Panama Canal trip. So its all very familiar, which is good!

Tomorrow is a "Sea Day".

Took us to shore

Friday Sea Day

Leisurely day today since we don't have a shore excursion. "Sea Days" are welcomed as a time to relax! We started with breakfast in the main dining room. I had a "Traditional English Breakfast", which was delicious, except for the fried toast. Sam had oatmeal and Eggs Benedict.

Our program in the main auditorium this morning was our Cruise Director, a delightful young lady, talked about the history of privateers and pirates in the Caribbean.

After a light lunch in the Lido, Sam relaxed with her book while I spent a good hour or so in the fitness center, riding a computerized bike (which was awesome) and a treadmill, followed by a couple of fast walking laps around Deck 10.

Dinner in the main dining room was a delicious rack of lamb. The Main Stage program tonight was the Island Magic Steel Band and then, in the Billboard Lounge we enjoyed a couple of young fellows on two pianos singing popular songs from the 80s.

There is evening music all over the place each night!

The weather today was great! Warm, about 80, calm seas and bright sun. Tomorrow we land in Jamaica.

Saturday Falmouth, Jamaica

Woke up to the docking procedure underway at Falmouth. From our room, looks like a beautiful, modern cruise ship facility! 

We had to be ready to find our shore excursion by 8:30. The weather appears to be perfect - sunny, warm and humid.

Our tour bus left right on time on the way to the Greenwood Great House.  Our guide was a young Jamaican lady named "Nicky" who had lots of useful information but never stopped talking. Favorite word is the Jamaican phrase "ya'man", instead of "Yes" "OK" or "I get you". It got a bit tiring!

We drove through Falmouth and out into the country side, past your typical island impoverished villages, a few stately homes, and some bumpy roads and lots of litter. The Greenwood Great House, a National Monument, is up on a hill with a spectacular view of the ocean. It was built in the 1700s as a guest entertainment home by Richard Barret, an incredibly wealthy landowner (84,000 acres here and 2000 slaves). His granddaugher is the famous Poetress Elizabeth Barret Browning (who never lived here, although she inherited it).

What makes this house special is the incredible collection of antiques from the 16 and 1700s. Those people were very clever!  Furniture made from rosewood and mahogeny; music players; secretary desks with hidden compartments. Much of it had been imported from England, Spain and Germany.

The top economic driver in Jamaica is, of course, tourism. Second is Bauxite, which is mined and exported for use in making Aluminum. The country gained its independence from Britain in 1964. That's why they drive on the left! Its also known for its Olympic Bobsled team and Usain Bolt! We stopped along the road to be shown the National Fruit, the Ackee with interesting seed pods.

We returned to the cruise port around 1:00 and found lunch at a little cafe called "Jamaica Me Happy". I enjoyed a Red Stripe beer, the local brew, with my taco of Jerk Chicken. The plaza is full of sourvenir shops and diamond stores; live Reggae music in the bandstand. It appears to be very slow today; must be off season. Wait until Spring Break when there are three cruise ships here!

Dinner in the Main Dining Room; a hysterical comedian on the World Stage, then NFL football in our room. Tomorrow is a "sea day".

Note the hanging lamp!

Ackee fruit

Sunday Sea Day

Today was a relaxing Sea Day. We enjoyed breakfast in the main dining room with our new friends Britt and Paulette from Cleveland. Another warm humid day ahead. In fact, its almost too warm to spend time out on the decks!

Our first thing this morning was to attend the Etsy jewelry auction. Not really an auction, but a way for their reps to show off the stuff you buy in the store. In any event, Sam was interested in a beautiful gold and mother of pearl necklace.  Too bad it was selling for $2,300!

After a light lunch we attended a presentation about future cruise opportunities. Anywhere from 7 day Mexican Riviera to 155 day Pole to Pole (Must be people really do that!).

While Sam knitted and read, I went to the fitness center and did an hour on the bike & treadmill.

Dinner in the Main Dining Room was a delicious prime rib for me and for Sam a white fish called Barramundi, which was also very good.

Our Main Stage show tonight was some highly energetic modern dancers. They were great. I can't imagine being able to move like that....ever! Then to the piano bar for a set by the two gay guys singing 70's country tunes.

We should awake to the pier at Honduras's Roatan Island. Our excursion will take us to Botanical Gardens and more, all on this small island.