A harbour tour and the biggest Cruise ship in the world.

After an early’ish breakfast of bagels and strawberry jam we departed the Hotel to travel the 17 miles to where we pick up the harbour tour on a ship with a paddle wheel which actually does  not drive the ship but makes it look different. We arrived on time and found a car park right next door to the boat reception and was able to get onboard immediately and thus get good seats.

We left at around 11.00 and the top deck of the boat was quite full and also a lot of Celebrity Cruise ship guests on a brief tour of Fort Lauderdale. The trip last about 90 minutes and takes  a few waterways where there are some really expensive houses in the 25-40 USD million range and also private boats from a small two seater up to a 300 foot monster costing 30-50 million. One was available for rent at the cost of £ 350 K per week plus fuel, Ummm not cheap.

There were some really nice houses although of course you are overlooked by everybody that passes by and with a multitude of tourist boats with the commentary point out that his house was owned by Tarzan, and this one owned by this rich guy and this one given as wedding present we would hate to live there with these boats and passenger ogling you all the time. Great if you like this type of thing and like to show off.

We passed en-route the brand new  Royal Caribbean Ship the ‘Wonder of the Seas’ which had just arrived from the fitting out yard in Europe and was waiting to get ready for its first trip, This boat is bloody massive and can take nearly 7000 guests with a crew of 2300. So nearly 9500 people on this ship, lets hpe they dont give it to an Italian Captain who likes rocky islands

After leaving the boat, we headed round the corner to the Los Olas Boulevard which is the road for expensive designer ware and restaurant and bars. Wed thought it might be to expensive to stop eat here but we found an Italian restaurant with food suitable for Noel and had a really good meal and not to expensive to USA standards. Noel had the grilles salmon, mash potatoes and a large bowl of freshly cooked broccoli whilst Jennifer had a very large bowl of Fettuccini A la Carbonara which she said was really great. We then talked about where to go next but it was about 2.30 ish and we were about an hour away from the Hotel and what with mums collecting kids we thought and actually confirmed it took us over an hour to get back and to have gone anywhere else would have been a waste of time.

We also passed both going and coming the amazing Hard Rock Café Hotel and Resort with the main Hotel in the shape of a Guitar (see photos) and we believe it is owned by the Seminole Indian tribe, the Casino that is… but an amazing building all the same. On returning back t the Hotel and looking at more info I discovered there are actually three hotels on site with nearly 1000 rooms.

We returned to the Hotel late afternoon and started preparing ourselves for our departure tomorrow for the West Coast of Florida. it will be approx 3.5 to 4 hours dependant on traffic and final route chosen.

That day of rest was necessary

Its surprising how tiring it can be on a relaxing cruise?? we both felt quite tired after the trip but it did entail walking a long way for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and then perhaps after dinner drinks and so Noel walked more on the ship on a daily basis than he would have done at home, tiring but fruitful at the same time as it will help his knees and muscles get strong again.

So today we decided that a similar type of day would take place and so Jennifer spent some time reading and also do more time on the sewing,and when it came to lunchtime we enjoyed a a nice cheese roll. Shortly afterwards we left the Hotel in search of a Gas (petrol) station to top up the car and also visit Publix to purchase snacks and food for the next couple of days. We also agreed that a cruise around the Fort Lauderdale Harbour would be good and so we have booked ourselves on the CarrieB tourist boat for a tour of the waterways and view the expensive houses with also a visit to the Docking area for the large cruise ships which use Fort Lauderdale as a base.

The petrol station surprised is and has moved its credit card requirement from entering a ZIP code (which always caused issues not accepting UK postal codes) to a chip and pin process the worry I had about the process disappeared quite quickly. We did some shopping in Publix of smoked salmon and shrimps to have as part of a salad later that day.

In the evening we spent some time watching Tv firstly a documentary or managing a large cruise ship called the MSC Seaside which was quite interesting but we would hate to go on that ship as its full of drunks and parties and organised this and that and  not our style at all as it was far to big with some  5000 passengers plus another 2000 crew, that requires a lot of lifeboats.

On a political front Putin has lot the plot, maybe he is on something but lets hope they can resolve this battle with Ukraine but I think the only people who can stop him are the Russian people who know have no opportunity to travel, Stock market failure, the rich losing all their wealth all because some idiot wants to take Ukraine. So hopefully the Russian Rich will bring some change or perhaps the military take over for the time  being  until someone suitable can be elected.

We are looking forward to our trip tomorrow.

A quiet day in Fort Lauderdale

After a busy Friday we thought we would have a quiet day and this was necessary as unfortunately the lunch food of yesterday came back to haunt Noel for most of the day and so staying in the hotel near the you know what was vital. Jennifer spent some time sewing and Noel checking how we can watch the English Premier League games and Formula One whilst here over the next couple of months resulting in a small easily cancelled contract with ESPN would provide both and even including the Carabao Cup when Chelsea play their arch nemesis Liverpool at Wembley.

By the end of the afternoon Noel was feeling better and getting hungry and it was a question where to go to eat but the burger joint ‘Five Guys’ won out and so off we went at around 1730 and prior to leaving we discovered that this car has Android Auto which means its easy to use a different SatNav if required and also play music from Amazon Music online. Jennifer ordered the ‘All in’ basic burger which came with two patties and so large with all the toppings she could hardly lift it, Noel on the other hand had the lesser weight basic cheeseburger. These are pretty much the best Burgers you can get and of course no garlic or onion in the patties.

After dinner we headed back to the Hotel as it was getting dark at around 7pm and after sorting out we settled down to watch the Netflix documentary on The Boeing Company related to the two air disasters on the B737 Max and also on the general state of the Company chasing high Wall Street approval over passenger safety. This was very interesting to watch. We also watched a couple of other documentaries before bedtime.

The Hotel we are staying is quite busy and we put this down to it being a weekend when lots of people hit the big towns for football, baseball games and similar.

Tomorrow we have booked ourselves on a Fort Lauderdale Harbour and inlet cruise for about 90 minutes which should be enjoyable. Now to watch the football.

We arrive inn Fort Lauderdale, Florida

An early arrival in the the Port of Fort Lauderdale at around 0715 and by 0800 people were allowed to get off the ship but called based upon a well tried colour system put on the baggage. If you did not check your baggage then you could walk off once the doors were open but as most people have rather large amount of suitcases, we had three suitcases, two roller bags a large camera bag and Jennifer's large handbag and no way could we manage this ourselves even without Noel’s gammy leg and age against us.

Anyway we left the cabin for breakfast around 0745 and enjoyed breakfast in the La terraza before then heading downstairs to the lounge to await the call for the colour ‘ORANGE’  so that we can get get off the ship and collect our suitcases which were already visible as we entered the building. We found a porter, no trolley here which if introduced would have the unions up in arms, and she gladly took all our luggage and led us outside to the taxi rank where a few minutes later a taxi appeared and by 0930 we were leaving the port en -route to the car rental place in a town called Margate, part of Fort Lauderdale.

When we arrived at the Avis rental car place there was a mid aged lady raging against the staff because she said she had booked a rental for which they had no information. They pointed out that with no reservation no car as they were pretty much oversold. This delayed me reaching the counter but finally when I did it all went smoothly but the amount of paperwork that they needed to print out was quite alarming, about ten sheets of paper in all. They did not need the DVLA proof of no driving offences document or insurance but only passport and credit card and a few minutes I was handed the keys for a brand new Nissan Altima in Black with 1200 miles on the clock and it is great for what we want .Rental car companies in USA have a maximum time you can rent a car it would appear that the car leasing companies would get up in arms and so I have pretty two contracts, both for 34 days each, hence the large amount of paperwork mentioned earlier, and the requirement to phone the rental company in approx. one months time to reconfirm the details.

From there we went to the Hotel, we are staying at a Hilton chain group called the Home2 Suites which come equipped with a mini kitchen and large rooms and this one was no exception and quite new. As we were rather early we left a couple of suitcases with them and headed of to Wholefood's with a view to getting a made up sandwich but this branch did not do this and so we purchased a baguette, four slices of ham, packet of crisps, mayonnaise ad some water and sat outside on the provided chairs and made our own sandwich . Unfortunately at the time we did not realise that the ham had garlic in it as did the mayonnaise which would affect Noel when after Whole foods we went to Publix (like Waitrose) and so a quick dask back to the Hotel, check in and gather all the luggage and then to the Loo. This problem with certain foods is a pain in the arse as far as Noel is concerned, literally.

We were both tired and so after checking in we had a cup of tea then a couple of hours in bed before unpacking and Noel sorting out the TV and added out Amazon Fire TV Stick so we could watch Netflix and YouTube rather than searching through several hundred channels for something intelligent and without adverts which is hard to find. Dinner was a turkey salad together with some really great strawberries followed by a couple of Netflix and then bed.

Driving in USA is easy once you have a couple of hours under your belt but the rules are quite different here and roads very wide and getting in the wrong lane when you need to turn can be a challenge and so hence why we were both a little exhausted after all of todays events. Tomorrow will be a quiet day we have decided.

Two days at sea , what is their to say apart from….

Although there is quite a lot of entertainment etc on on board we tend to skip most of it. Its a bit late to start German or Spanish lessons unless there is good tips on ordering beer or the best wines whilst most of the Germans and Spanish speak our lingo anyway. As usual there are last minute offers in the SPA bit still expensive we think although if you have tons of money then its not a problem.

So we spent most of the time reading, listening to music and of course going to breakfast, lunch and dinner in the various restaurants on board and I am so impressed that once they knew your room number they jumped in to looking to ensure that I was not served something in error and so on the complete trip not one problem for Noel which was really good.

On Thursday evening we had dinner in the Atlantide Main restaurant, Jennifer had the lobster again and Noel the Veal chop which was really fantastic, whoever supplies their meat is a great supplier. There was an American couple sitting next to us who lived near Clearwater in Florida and he was a Dentist by trade and by the number of times they have travelled abroad clearly dentistry is a profitable business in the USA. Clearly they were Trump Supporters and they do not like the present administration at all it became clear. Mind you I find it difficult to recommend a good Country administration anywhere except Singapore and Monaco…why is that?

We got back to the cabin after a nice evening and were left a piece of paper indication that we had travelled 1775 nautical miles on this trip..

On Friday afternoon we had to pack our bags and get them ready to leave them outside the door by latest 11 pm leaving you only with the clothes you can stand in and any other hand luggage. At one point Jennifer thought she missed something as her bag was quite empty but once complete we actually had tight space as before.

Goodbye Silver Spirt and Thank you

We have to leave the cabin by 0800 hrs so that they can start the sanitisation process which is required. Everywhere on the hip are sensitisation stations and before you can pick up a plate there is a machines where you wash your hands for twenty seconds then it gives out a paper hand towel to dry yourself off. You are not allowed to serve yourself at any of the buffet meals and so with all these conditions in affect there were no known cases of Covid or Norovirus on board. The care they take s excellent and although expensive worth every penny.

Not looking forward to the early morning though…

Immigration day in San Juan ,Puerto Rico

At shortly after 0800 there was ship wide announcement regarding the immigration procedures to be adopted. The idea is that all those leaving on ship arranged tours would pass through right away and the rest of the guests who were not planning to go ashore and visit San Juan would wait on board and they would call out the guests based upon deck number, yes easy .

We are on deck 7 and the cabins start on the 5th Deck and going up the the large suites on the 10th Deck. So thinking that as we are on deck 7 we would have time to start breakfast as surely they would start at the top or bottom of the ship and so we sat down and was part way through when they announced that all island tourists have left and now it was deck by deck starting with DECK 7, what how did that happen??. We are of the opinion that as the ship only has 396 guests on board compared to the capability of 598 that they must have guest’s around rather than having many part used decks .

Anyway down the gangplank we went and too our turn lining up to tee the Immigration lady who asked all the usual questions about how long we are staying and where and when are we returning to the UK. Noel had all the paperwork confirming house rental and flight bookings etc but they did not want to see it. From there we went to another part of this large warehouse building we those who wanted to go ashore for the day could leave whilst us stay on boarder’s would site and wait until everybody on the ship had been seen by immigration and only then could we return to our cabin at around 10 am.

After a couple of things to do in the cabin we went up to the pool deck and found a couple of comfortable chairs out of the sun and listed to music (Noel) and Jennifer back on the cross stitching. For lunch we went back the buffet in La Terraza  and had a light meal and then spent a short time in the Cafe Arts which is also having an open deck area and so we went there for a while but then Jennifer wanted a rest and so we returned to the cabin.

I was aware that Chelsea were playing Lille tonight but though that the chances of watching this on the ship would be nil, but I was wrong as one of the channels when flicking though suddenly came up with the game, wow great that's my afternoon taken car of and they won 2 nil.

In the evening for dinner we went back to the Italian and Noel had the Veal chop really great and Jennifer prawns with something… with a few glasses of plonk and then went to the Panorama lounge to listen to the trio, who were very good but at 10.30 ish we snuck away and returned to the cabin as the early morning and late nights don't sit well with us. Well its two full days at sea for the 23 and 24th Feb and we arrive in Fort Lauderdale the morning of the 25th,

 

British Virgin Islands- looks really nice from the ship

We had agreed that we would stay on board today and avoid the Tender transfer to the Island whilst quite a few people went off to go to the beach and the usual tours of the Island. However having seen a number of Caribbean Islands over the years only the still Dutch managed Islands seem to be doing well mostly due to EU money being funnelled via Holland to their islands in the sun.

Our decision to stay on board meant that we had time to catch up with blogging and Jennifer to work on the cross stich picture for the new baby.

The British Virgin Islands and where the ship was anchored was really superb as it swung on the anchor which meant that you were getting a new view every few minutes . For lunch we sat on the back balcony of La terazza and broke the golden rule about wine at lunchtime as it was so nice to sit there  and look at the really gorgeous views, a sight to remember. Inn the afternoon really more of the same with Noel listening to his music and Jen stitching away. For the buffet they had some really good looking roast pork which I planned to have with a salad but when enquiring about garlic in the pork they said that the pork was not cooked with garlic but as a presentation they have large garlic cloves as decoration but one of the cloves had been cut using the same knife they cut the pork and therefore the meat and knife would contaminate the roast joint with and so without further ado the server went back to the kitchen and carved off a goodly amount of pork from a new joint using a brand new clean knife, excellent as far as I was concerned.

As it was so nice in La Terraza we decided to return in the evening for dinner which we did and sat outside in the warm evening air with the sun going down again a really nice experience except the lighting was not the best and we wondered what was in some of the early starter dishes as Noel has to be very wary of what he eats. Again a very nice experience with the waiters and staff going out of there way to ensure that all food that I eat is safe to do so.

After dinner we returned to the room and to read up about the need to get off the ship tomorrow to pass through US Immigration in Puerto Rico which would start shortly after the ship arrives at 0800. So and early morning is expected and therefore to bed early.

St Kitts and Sugar train ride

We have booked ourselves on the Sugar Train ride which together with positioning takes just over three hours. So rather an early start for us which meant and an early breakfast before going ashore in the St Kitts harbour and boarding a bus for the forty five minute drive to the far end of the train line.

This railway was set up when the land was used for growing sugar cane with the UK being its largest customer but when UK started growing sugar beet the export market dried up but prior to that the train would travel through all the many sugar plantations collecting the cane and then taking it to the production site. So in 2005 they decided to use this railway as part of the intention to increase its tourist business and so a company in Seattle , USA built five carriages with and open top deck and downstairs with enclosed seating and a toilet. Mind you the train ride was so bumpy I am sure you would fall off the loo at some point.

The train would its way thro the hills and at one point two (so called) local guys performed a cultural dance which meant hoping from one leg to the other and sometime wiggling your bottom, most cultural??. This Island seems to more financially well off that the previous Islands visited as the cars and houses were all in much better condition but the habit of just dumping a damaged car or one that wont work anymore by the side of the road to let it rot away is not great.

Why is it that the tour guides feel they must talk all the time and this one was no exception and it was like when she ran out of something to say she would say the same things over again and so we heard about the number of schools and school age requirements at least three time. Sometimes it just better to shut up rather than carry on.

We got back to the cruise terminal and being a Sunday most of the shops were closed and therefore not much to do here. I forgot t mention that the cruise port has all been built on reclaimed land. The Island like many others had been rules by the Brits, then the French and then the Brits and French together and then finally there was yet another war between the Brits and the French until a treaty signed in France between the two countries and the French withdrew from the Island. This Island is now independent and has its own government.

Once back on board ship we had lunch followed by an easy afternoon with Noel sorting out photos and blogging and Jennifer enjoying a short rest and reading, yes a tough life indeed.

For dinner tonight we headed to the grill which we enjoy as its in the fresh air and then headed to the library for a last good night drink where we chatted to the Indian barman and he told us he was poached from a Dubai Hotel by Silversea as they were offering almost double the salary he was earning in Dubai and shorter times between contracts and so he and his colleagues are very happy working on this ship. We have also discovered that there are only 396 passengers on board as against the ship being able to hold 596 and so there is more staff than guests on board, no wonder the service is so good.

Tomorrow we arrive in the British Virgin Islands where you have to go by tender if you want to visit the Island.

A quiet day in St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda

Nothing planned in the way of trips today which was nice and enabled us to have a quiet restful day and enjoying the good weather. St Johns is another island ruled by the puritanical Brits for many years and now separated and looking at the dockside money needs to be spent on this place. Lockdown means we can only visit the tourist shops within the port area selling the usual t-shirts, cheap jewellery etc, you get the picture and so as nothing interested on this island unless you want a full day on a catamaran going round the island or snorkelling we had previously agreed that a day on on board would be nice.

The weather was as good as usual at around 27 C and low humidity and so following breakfast we returned to the cabin for noel to catch up with blogging and photos before spending time on the balcony watching the clouds go by. After lunch in La Terraza we headed of to the pool and found a couple of relaxer chairs and spent a good two hours there before returning to the cabin whilst Jennifer spent a little extra time by the pool.

Having studded the restaurant menus on the in house system we decided to go the La Terraza for dinner but its not necessary to make a booking so we di not as after a quiet drink in the lounge listening to the lady pianist we went to the La Terraza only to find they were booked up and could we come back, so we then said lets go to the Atlantide main restaurant which was virtually empty  and easy to obtain a seat. Not sure what was happening in the Italian restaurant but it was very popular its seems. Actually in retrospect we were pleased that we ended up in the restaurant as the food was excellent and we both had the Veal chop and it was superb and so tasty and tender..absolutely brilliant with a couple of glasses of chardonnay.

Following dinner we were unsure whether to go to the main theatre to watch a film or head back to the room to enjoy some further peace and quiet and watched some rubbish tv, although we did start watching ‘Silent Witness’ on BBC only to lose the satellite connections after about ten minutes and so decided to go to bed and read for a while. By this time the ship had left port and headed for our next port of call called St Kitts where we are to take a trip on the train line which originally carried the sugar cane from the hills to the production plants but this was stopped in 2005 due falling price of sugar and so it has been converted in to a tourist attraction.

See you tomorrow

Roseau Dominica a mountainous Island

Most of the Islands we have visited have in the past been ruled by either the British, French or Spanish at some time in their history and this island is no exception. All islands visited on this cruise  all drive on the left hand side of the road, most of the time when roads allow, and so this is or must be a throwback to the British rule. God Save the Queen.

A slow breakfast this morning as we have nothing planned until about 13.30 when we are doing a small tour of the town on a ‘petit train’ as they say in France. Anyway we left the ship as its started to rain which is important as this Island has rain every day of varying amount depending on the season.  A couple of people were carrying towels which thought was a bit strange but later in the day it became obvious why.

As usual the traffic is quite busy with everybody hooting each other and so there is a cacophony of sound all the time and what with the noise of the petit train bumping over potholes and lurching left and right depending on the road surface and of course the seats were not padded, oh for a towel to sit on. After about ten minutes of the tour guide mentioning at least three times the number of rivers and lakes on the Island we arrived at the first stop which was a church with an odd shaped roof designed to avoid being knocked over by the hurricanes which have caused extensive damage in the past. We took a few photos, sorry no photos can be uploaded until we reach  our destination .and have a fast internet connection. We spent about fifteen minutes there and then the next stop was beside the river where apparently families go at the weekend to swim and have BBQ's , not so sure i would do that looking at the state of the river . Its very obvious this is a very mountainous island compared to the others we have visited but a small population of under 80 thousand residents.

From there up the hill to the Botanical gardens where a detailed explanation of the trees and plants was made, the park was at a steep angle and the thought of standing for ten minutes and listening to this guy spouting on about the amount of rivers and lakes etc so Noel waited in the train and Jennifer took in the ten minute tour with a free drink, passion fruit I think, but not for Noel. He also mentioned that all medical is free on the island with the exception of major operations where you have to be transported to another island with the right medical support.

This island was also involved in the slave trade which now in UK the woke brigade are tearing down statues, burning books and changing street names whilst here on the island they are celebrating the fact they were impacted by the slave trade and have a large memorial and slave trade museum, but now closed due to Covid. At this point the rain started again and heavy this time and so we borrowed a towel from a fellow traveller to stop the rain getting us to wet as of course the petit train had open sides. We arrived bac at the ship around three pm and ordered a glass of iced tea before Noel doing some blogging and photo prep while Jennifer is starting on a hand stitched little bear for the the new-born in June this year.

In the evening we went to the lounge where there was a lady playing the piano of classical numbers, very relaxing, and after our drink we headed in to the Atlantide restaurant for our evening dinner. The staff have been really excellent on this ship regarding my dietary issues and have gone out of there way to make it safe for me which is most encouraging and more relaxing for me.

From dinner we returned to the cabin and started watching a British movie which started off ok and then slowly became a sort of horror film which Jennifer does not like and so we turned it off and looked at the news before turning in.

We have been very aware of the approaching storm and concerned about the safety of the caravan and awning and according to our caravan site neighbour everything was fine but at home it had ripped the cover of the garden table and chairs, blown a dustbin in to the garden and a few other things which our next door neighbour came in to sort out for us.

Anyway its an early departure from here today with the next stop being St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda., see you tomorrow.

St Lucia, we have been here before

The day started out with us having an early  breakfast on the balcony of the  La Terraza restaurant  before Jennifer left on her 5 hour tour, nori of that later.

For Noel his knee was playing up and he did  not fancy five hours touring although previously booked and so it was a long morning to himself. So most of the time was spent on the suite balcony listening to music  and generally passing the time of day. After a relaxing morning Noel went for lunch at the buffet which at that time was remarkable quiet. St Lucia like many other Islands have very strict policies about leaving the ship and walking around the town, in fact it was not possible. Within the port area are a number of tourist shops which we saw when we visited those years ago whilst on a Holland America Cruise I think. So it was not worth going thro the hassle of getting of the ship and so hence a quiet morning.

Jennifer's tour was in a eight seater minibus and the first stop was ‘Look Out’ over  the sea and port and there were a number of shops where Jennifer bought some really excellent Banana bread . Of course the drive to this look out took in the main town where there were rather nasty traffic jams and so it was taking some time to get anywhere. Anyway after the look out they moved on to a small fishing town with lots of colourful fishing boats and the school kids were all out waving flags for an event that was taking place. All of the houses were also very brightly painted in all sorts of colours and from a distance they looked really lovely except when you get closer that a lick of paint is required. Then back up in to the hills surrounding for a further view of the Pitons ( two large mammary shaped mountains) which are quite famous. In fact this is an area where some of the nicer Hotels are located.

For lunch they stopped in a small small village restaurant where they were served finger food consisting of fried chicken, local dumpling and banana crisps. where were Ok and finally to finish with Coconut cake. Following lunch the tour continued to visit the Botanical Garden where they spent almost 45 minutes looking at all the different trees and shrubs many of which are house plants in UK. And then on to a large waterfall which changes colour based on the the minerals being exposed and was about 50 feet high, nothing like the waterfalls in New Zealand…

After the last visit they departed to return to the ship over the bumpy potholed roads and down thro the rain forest and finally reaching the port and boarding the ship and needing a nice rest.

After a quiet afternoon we showered and then got ready to have dinner in the Japanese Fusion restaurant, so it was sort of Japanese food but not entirely so hence the introduction of the word fusion which covers all ills. However the food was very nice and we both had the spider crab wrapped in small pancakes, Jennifer then had the Yakitori chicken and Noel the crab balls and both finishing off with the ‘surf and turf’ of Wagyu beef and small lobster tail. The dinner was nice and light and accompanied by the odd glass of Californian Chardonnay. I forgot to mention that were were offered a very interesting pre-dinner drink based aroid Japanese Saki , Noel would  not try his just in case and so Jennifer helped out.

Following dinner at at around nine fifteen we decided to go back to the cabin and watch some Tv for a while before testing out the bed

St George Island, Grenada tour followed by an afternoon on the beach

An early breakfast and we were in the lounge at 0900 ready to join the tour of Bequia travelling on the back of mostly Toyota open trucks with eight people to a vehicle.

This is not a very large Island and it relies solely on tourism of which there has been very little of in the past twenty months. We had to use the tender to get onshore and went thro the usual security checks and again this location you are only allowed to visit on an organised tour which is authorised by the Government. Prior to the tourism business starting some years ago this Island relied on whaling for a living and on the top of Mount Pleasant thee is plaque recognising the location where a spotter would be stationed to look for whales and then direct the 7 man rowing boats in the correct direction. This practise still continues to this day but it is difficult and o they are only allowed to catch four whales per annum but the most they ever catch is one or two  (they say).

But back to the tour we headed up the side of the mountain with very steep roads and the Toyota truck working hard to get up and we arrived at a gum emplacement with the barrels still in place for us to take photos of the historic Island protection . The Island was under British Rule until the mid 1970’s but now has its own Prime Minister  and Government.I asked the tour guide if having your own control and PM with local Government  compared being ruled by the Brits any better and she said NO , the present Government is looking after itself and not the people, where have I heard that before.

From there we were taken to a rehabilitation facility for Turtles and there were quite a few from babe’s up to Big Brother size and Jennifer spent quite some time with the Boss who was explaining how he became involved in this role for protecting the turtles, he was a very interesting chap and I think American by origin and is now 82  and he really enjoys his work safeguarding live animals. Whether  it was part of his farm I don't know but there were quite a a lot of goats who came from the hill to greet the tour party perhaps expecting food, who knows.

From there we then visited Mount Pleasant, as mentioned earlier and then rushed back down the hill to get back to the ship for lunch and and us to get ready for the beach afternoon.

We had the buffet lunch and perhaps Noel ate the wrong Sushi as on the tender going back to shore there were some unexpected rumblings.. anyway to late to return but we again boarded the Toyota truck taxis and and drove for about fifteen minutes to the small beach where chairs had been laid out where we spent about three hours before returning the the ship. We had noticed earlier on our Island tour that quite a few of the beaches were covered in a special type of seaweed which smelt really bad and not possible toe sit on or swim from, apparently the Island is working to overcome this.

We arrived back at the ship around 1745 and headed to the cabin for a cuppa. For reasons of safety Silversea don't allow kettles and/or tea making equipment in the cabin as in the past few years there have been a number of dangerous fire incidents with people leaving the kettle on and it catching fire and so the room service provides the tea. We thought we had booked the Japanese Seishin restaurant for tonight and then remembered it was for tomorrow night and so looking at all the restaurant menus on the cabin TV we opted to go back to the Grill as the filet mignon was so good we

had to try again.

The serving staff and the manager Jordan went out of his way to make certain my salad and ret of the food was not contaminated with anything that might upset Noel although he was still suffering from the earlier problem. Perhaps not the best thing to do was to try out a a red Shiraz which was really nice but came back to bite me later. Well back to cabin for an early night as we were both very tired.

First night on Silver Spirit

Having travelled with Silversea before we know the quality of the cabins and also also the bed and so we both slept well. We had prior to this trip agreed that we would make the first day a day of rest and relaxation and give us time to adjust to the four time difference and also get over the tiring part of travel and so we spent the day on the ship which at this time had docked in the port of St George, Grenada and whilst quite a few people left the ship on excursions I think many people decided also to stay on board as due to the local Covid Regulation you can only leave the ship on an organised tour and not able to wander off the the ship at your own will.

Each morning we have to call the Butler who will come and take your temperature before your leave the cabin for the day. In addition there are very many sanitisation sites around the ship for when you enter and restaurant or any other public place. Most of the restaurants your are served but in the La Terraza which for morning and lunch is buffet style and so there is a handwashing station your must use before going near any of the food which is laid out. Its very well organised on the ship and you must wear your mask in all public areas except when seated.

This ship the Silver Spirit accommodates about 600 guests which is quite low for a cruise ship today as some can take 6000 guests, how horrible that must be.

We had lunch on the veranda deck and the staff are being most cautious on what they are serving. I looked at the burger but that had onions and a touch of garlic, both a no no for me and so I settled on the fish dish of the day but they came and apologised for the delay in providing the food as they were aware that the the fish could be contaminated with perhaps onions and garlic etc as it is only a small small cooking area and so they sent the fish down to a different kitchen where it was prepared. You cannot complain at that.

In the afternoon we retired to the cabin for an afternoon zizz and the went for dinner in the Atlantide Restaurant where the Maître Di recognised me and then he said to the waiter ‘ I need to know what Mr Groves orders’ so that I can ensure with the kitchen it is correctly cooked and it was. Tonight I had the Garoupa with mashed potatoes and finished with a strawberry desert whilst Jennifer  enjoyed quite a good size lobster tail which she said was delicious.

After dinner we went up to the Panorama lounge where we were the only people for a while then a small group of Americans arrived, luckily the quiet type.

And so to bed as tomorrow we have to be up early for a very busy day.

We join the Silversea Spirit cruise today

We had breakfast and then resorted our baggage and had to leave the room around 1200 although we were not leaving the Hotel for the ship until 1500. Whilst sitting in the lobby there were lots of people checking in who had just left the ship with their baggage everywhere and us with many others waiting to join the vessel all hanging out in the lobby. Jennifer purchased some paninis with chicken and cheese and one ham and cheese, not great but filled a gap.

Finally we left the Hotel for the twenty minute drive to the port where we would have to enter what you might describe as a steeplechase horse race where we would have to undergo a further documents check for PCR testing, Vaccine certificate , temperature check and then a passport check before we went on to the next stage which was the Covid Test which was a ‘one nostril only’ test, actually I was expecting a more rigorous test and then sit around for about 20 minutes waiting for the test results. It at that point you have been diagnosed with COVID you would be declared unsafe to travel and have to go to a Hotel for quarantine for about seven days, so you are are really hoping they don't find anything and our case they did not. Then you go to the cruise check in and finally on board to your cabin on out case 709.

When we arrived at the suite the Butler, yes a Butler is waiting for you to arrive to do a further temp check and confirmed details re the muster requirements and also confirm that our three suitcases were in the cabin. We then had to watch a film about safety on the TV and then enter confirmation that you had watched it. By this time it was about 1715 and Noel had to have a meeting with the maître di and head chef regarding his dietary issues and that was at 17.30 and so i=of he went whilst Jennifer started unpacking the cases.

The meeting with the Maître di, head chef and deputy maître di lasted about ten minutes but it was strange that they were not aware of the FODMAP diet however Noel had prepared a one page note of the dos and don'ts. Then rushed back to the cabin to start his unpacking before at 1800 we had to go for muster which lasted about half an hour. Then back to the cabin for a shower and change for Dinner.

For tonight's dinner on Valentines day we had  boked to the the GRILL which is on the swimming pool level and in the open air but with temperature around 25 degrees it was very pleasant. In this restaurant you are given a hot rock which is heated to about 400 degrees upon which you cook your own steak and/or anything else you have ordered ie various cuts of steak, fish, lamb and pork . You of course can have a starter and so noel had the salad after the head waiter had come to introduce himself to say that he was fully aware of my food issues and don't worry he will ensure that everything would be as I requested.

We both enjoyed the filet mignon with two large Madagascan prawns on the side plus noel had French fries and Jennifer the baked potato and we both agreed they were  the best filet-mignon we have ever tasted. The wine was flowing but we were both careful as Jennifer did not want to over indulge whilst Noel was concerned how an unknown wine would affect him so he had only one glass of California Chardonnay.

We thought about going to the lounge following the meal to relax but then as were were tired after todays efforts and jet lag a bit we went back to the room for an early night.

At the moment most of the guests seem to be American or Brits and of course we understand the ship is only about 70 per cent full and so there is space everywhere. An American who we had met whilst waiting at the hotel had some friends who had been on the ship for the past nine days and said there were only about 300 people on that cruise so a load factor of about 50%.

Tomorrow we arrive in St Georges ,Grenada where we have not booked any excursions with the plan of having a very quiet day and taking it easy. And so to bed……….

An easy start to the day-initially

We arose at just before 0700 showered and then final packing before going to terminal 5. The porter found a BAA trolley and so it was an easy five minute walk to the check in desk. We were able to check in right away and then wait for the wheelchair assistance for Noel, actually he can walk quite well but its the standing and great distances you have to walk in this terminal which was why we opted for the assistance. Its also works on the efficiency side as well as the porters use a special route to avoid the crowds but to get to the BA lounge, its three sets of lifts and about a 400 yard walk.

We had a bacon bun in the lounge once having mastered their online food ordering system and with cups of tea  we were then ready for the 15 minute drive to the gate . We found our seats and this B777 had the new Business class suites which I thought were quite nice but most unsuitable for families with young children as these was such a family on board and they spent half the flight getting up and down to see what the kids were doing as once ensconced in your suite you cannot see anybody. 

The flight to Bridgetown to just over eight hours and we arrived in good shape just as three other large jets had just touched down and so we had to wait on board for a while to let the arrival terminal empty a bit. To get us old and decrepit ones of the flight they used an old aircraft food truck which rises up to the side of the aircraft and you walk out as they do not have any fingers at tis terminal. What was interesting that in tis very old truck were health an safety signage but the metal floor had rust holes in it and once you enter you ae concerned that the floor wont give way.

Inside the terminal it was chaos with hundreds of people waiting to go thro the Covid Paperwork check with many people having to take a test, there was no separation from people who had been tested and those waiting to be tested. Because we had used the BIMSAFE ( Barbados Immigration)  App in advance and being on a wheelchair we avoided the masses of people queuing but it still took us about 90 minutes to get out of the terminal. The Silversea agents then positioned a minibus to take about eight of us to the Hilton Barbados Resort Hotel where we arrived at about 1745, nearly three hours after we had landed.

Following a shower and rest we went for dinner but there was only one venue open with a limited menu where we had some shrimp, four to be precise, and it came with like a pancake which had apple in it and so Noel had the four small shrimp and Jennifer two of the pancakes which she said tasted nice. We had asked abut no garlic in the shrimp and although they said there was none Noel was certainly not to sure at 0200  in the early morning suffering from the effects of garlic.

Getting ready to leave on our extended holiday

Having spent some time during the week to prepare for our departure with suitcases packed early it was down to the last knockings, as they say.

Due to Noel’s dietary issues Jennifer prepared some food for the flight to Barbados  and so a checked salad plus some ham rolls were prepared and stored away in recently purchased containers. In the afternoon Noel watched the Chelsea-Palemeras game from Abu Dhabi and hoping for a full time result as the taxi was due 7pm , only it was not to be so we had to close down the TV and get ready for the taxi.

The flight tomorrow is scheduled for 10.30 and as we need to check in early for the passenger assistance to work well we had decided that a night at the Sofitel which is connected to the Terminal 5 would make our life a lot easier and so we checked in around 7.45 and spent the rest of the evening watching TV before bedding down for the night.

Earlier in the day we had to use the British Airways Verifly app to upload all our PCR and Vaccine info and then use the Barbados App for the same document’s all over again, when will this ever end.?? Noel then had to do online check in with BA to obtain seats and boarding passes. There is a lot to do these days when you travel.