Cruise #37: 14 Days Circle
Caribbean
11/25/2023 - 12/9/2023
Emerald Princess:
The view of Ft Lauderdale as we are sailing away.
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We are in Crooners on the Emerald Princess,
listening to our favorite Princess piano man,
Kory Simon. Lou and I got married on this very same ship in
2013. On our wedding night,
we stumbled upon Kory in Crooners. He asked the audience if
there were any newlyweds on
the ship. Lou raised his hand and told Kory that we'd gotten
married on the ship that very
same day. Kory asked us to come to the dance floor. He
sang "Can I Have This Dance for
the Rest of My Life" while Lou and I danced. Prior to this, we
had only danced once
in public and I have to admit I was very self-conscience dancing in
front of people. Fast
forward to this cruise: Between sets, Kory always stops by a few
tables and chats with audience
members. Lou and I reintroduced ourselves to him and told him
the story of 2013. At the beginning
of his next set, Kory recounted the story to the audience and asked
us to come to the dance floor
once again while he recreated the moment with the very same song.
I have to say, I was a LOT
more comfortable this time since Lou and I have danced in public
many times in the past almost
11 years. Plus, Lou's spontaneity and his attitude of never
meeting a stranger has somewhat
rubbed off on me, thank goodness! |
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And here is the man himself, Kory Simon.
He is such a great entertainer and it is
standing room only in Crooners every single night he is there.
What is so special
about Kory? Well, he is extremely talented on the piano and has a
great voice,
but the really special thing is how hilarious he is and how he gets
us all to sing along.
For songs such as "Stay (Just a Little Bit Longer)" he competes with
the us to see
whether the audience can sing higher than him. At the end of
each song like this,
it turns into a Screech Fest. And Kory says he can get the
audience to do
ANYTHING! (It's true. All your inhibitions go away
and you don't mind making
a fool of yourself.) |
A picture taken from our balcony of the
horizon and pretty clouds.
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Ship: Emerald Princess
Cabin : D715 mini-suite
Itinerary:
Date Description Start End
Nov 25 Fort Lauderdale 3:00PM
Nov 26 At Sea
Nov 27 At Sea
Nov 28 St Kitts 9:00AM 6:00PM
Nov 29 Guadeloupe (Pointe-A 8:00AM 6:00PM
9:45am Sainte-Anne On Your Own
4 hours
Nov 30 St Lucia 8:00AM 6:00PM
8:30 am Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise
3 hours
Dec 01 Barbados 8:00AM 6:00PM
Dec 02 Grenada 8:00AM 6:00PM
Dec 03 Trinidad (Port Of Sp 7:00AM 5:00PM
Dec 04 Martinique 10:00AM 8:00PM
Dec 05 At Sea
Dec 06 Aruba 7:00AM 4:00PM
Dec 07 At Sea
Dec 08 At Sea
Dec 09 Fort Lauderdale 7:00AM
St. Kitts:
Jagged volcanoes soaring above azure
and turquoise seas, dense rainforests in myriad shades of
green, rolling fields of sugarcane--welcome to St. Kitts.
Along with its neighbor, Nevis, St. Kitts presents an exotic
landscape more common to Polynesia than the Caribbean. The
islands' terrain, rich soil, and climate made them ideal
locations for raising sugarcane. In fact, St. Kitts and
Nevis were once the crown jewels of the Caribbean. During
the 17th and 18th centuries, Spain, France and England vied
for control of the islands, with the English finally winning
out in 1787. Today, British and French heritage is evident
on both islands. Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts,
boasts fine, restored colonial buildings. Impressive
Brimstone Hill Fortress, called the "Gibraltar of the West
Indies," is one of the most impressive fortresses in the
Caribbean.
We just love the island of
St. Kitts. It is so picturesque! |
Guadeloupe:
Guadeloupe, a butterfly shaped gem of a land, floats
between the islands of Antigua and Dominica. Between the
wings of Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre lies Pointe-à-Pitre,
the main economic center of the area. Founded in 1763 by the
French governor Gabriel de Clieu, this gracious city of some
16500 souls is a perfect blend of old and new, a place where
colonial buildings rub shoulders with vibrant modern
architecture. Pointe-à-Pitre itself has much to offer-lively
markets, upscale boutiques, bustling cafes and a charming
harbor make for a perfect invitation to spend the day
exploring. A trip to Basse-Terre would not be complete
without a visit to the spectacular Jardin Botanique de
Deshaies (botanical garden), where a mile of pathways winds
through 15 different garden areas, housing over 1,000
species of plants and flowers. On the eastern "wing,"
Grand-Terre, lies one of the most breathtaking sites in
Guadeloupe. Pointe de Chateaux ("Castle Point") is a
windswept peninsula made of unique rock formations, with a
cross shaped memorial at its tip. Visitors to the area will
be rewarded with stunning views of the Atlantic and the
neighboring island of La Desirade.
We visited a small cafe and market in St. Anne.
We bought whole vanilla beans
....one package for Carol and one for Lou's Retina Specialist,
Dr. Veronica Graversen. Dr. Graversen is originally from Ecuador and
had mentioned to Lou that she loves to cook with whole vanilla beans
and wished they were more available in the states. She was happy to
receive them and rewarded Lou with big hug. |
Carol and Lou take a selfie in St. Anne.
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This was our first and probably last
visit to Guadalupe, a
French colony. It did not seem like you're classic Caribbean
tropical island. Instead,
the island felt very built up
with mostly tall buildings.
We had booked an "on your own" excursion to the town of St
Anne. The excursion description had stated that
we would take a short bus ride to
the quaint village of
St. Anne which has cafes and shopping with
a short walk to the beach. Instead,
it turned out to be a 60 minute plus ride out to a tiny
shopping area surrounded by traffic and
lots of noise... nothing worth while here
for us. Not very quaint at all. In addition, our tour
guide was French and she had a difficult
time speaking clearly in English. But the
real problem was that she never completed her sentences
so no one on the bus was ever sure of what she meant. We were
expecting a quaint town with French sidewalk cafes and nice shops.
Instead, there was one cafe that was in the craft market and the
craft market contained poorly made beach cover-ups and dresses, and
such baubles as refrigerator magnets. At the end of the 2
hours on our own, all of the tour group met back at the previously
agreed upon departure point to catch the bus back to the ship.
There we were informed that the bus driver
had changed the departure point due to traffic and we would all have
to walk a half mile back to where we had just come from. As we
began walking, the heavens opened up and, as Carol likes to say, "it
started raining cats and dogs!" Within seconds, all of us were
thoroughly soaked and the rain never let up. There were
several people on our tour who had mobility issues so we felt bad
for them. We say we would give this tour and island a
one star at best.
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St. Lucia:
Nestled below the Pitons, twin peaks rising over 2,600
feet above the azure waters of the Caribbean, St. Lucia is
an oasis of tropical calm. The island's capital, Castries,
is a town of charming, pastel-colored colonial buildings,
home to some 60,000. Yet despite its peaceful setting, St.
Lucia has a turbulent and colorful history. Fierce Carib
warriors overran the peaceful Arawaks in the 9th century.
The first European settler, Francois Le Clerc, was a French
buccaneer. Le Clerc's countrymen followed in his wake,
establishing the town of Soufriere in 1746. Sugar was the
lure, sugar was king. Within four decades some 50
plantations flourished on the island. Thus St. Lucia became
part of the Caribbean's 18th-century trade triangle of
sugar, slavery, and rum. Today this beautiful island
welcomes visitors drawn to its exotic tropical landscape,
superb beaches, crystalline waters, and colorful marine
life.
St Lucia Whale & Dolphin Watching Cruise:
The waters surrounding St. Lucia are home to more than 40
different species of whale and dolphin. Get to know the
area's most exciting and friendliest natural wonders on an
exciting three hour adventure. Cruise in search of the most
common humpback whale as well as sperm and pilot whales, and
spinner, striped and common dolphins. This tour takes you on
an unprecedented whale- and dolphin-watching voyage aboard a
specially designed sightseeing boat perfect for viewing
these amazing marine mammals. As you seek these sea
creatures, enjoy a relaxing view of the island's coast,
while sipping your complimentary beverage. Chances are very
good you'll get to see some of these gentle giants, and in
calm waters a hydrophone is used in locating whales. While
every effort will be made to locate them, actual sightings
cannot be guaranteed. You'll conclude the day back at the
dock.
Lou enjoys a cigar in the smoking
area of the ship. |
Barbados:
Barbados is one of the few Caribbean islands solely
colonized by one nation. It's no wonder Bajans describe
their country as being "more English than England sheself,"
surnames like Worthing and Hastings abound. But look around
and you know you're not in England: rich and fertile
tropical fields meet a glistening, azure sea. The soft
pastels of old chattel houses blend with the vibrant reds,
oranges, and greens of roadside fruit stands. In short,
Barbados exudes a charm all its own. Perhaps it is due to
Bajan culture, that celebrated blend of English tradition
and the African heritage brought to the island by slaves
imported to work the sugar plantations. The potent brew
which results flavors every aspect of island life, from
music, dance and art, to religion, language and food.
Lights Off |
Lights On |
Grenada:
Grenada is the Caribbean's "Isle of Spice" -- one of the
world's major producers of nutmeg, mace, clove, cinnamon,
and cocoa. Indeed, the fragrant aroma of spice seems to
envelop the island's emerald hillsides, tropical forests,
and sun-drenched beaches. Grenada is truly a feast for the
senses. Americans, of course, may remember the island from
the 1983 U.S. military intervention. Over two decades later,
Grenada is again an ideal vacation spot. No building here
may be built higher than a coconut palm. The majority of
hotels are small and family owned. St. George's Harbor is a
picture-perfect postcard of an idyllic Caribbean anchorage.
Trinidad:
Beautiful bay. |
Beautiful Yachts. |
Lou and Carol |
Lou and Kory Simon |
Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago:
Trinidad, the birthplace of steel pan and calypso music,
is one of the Caribbean's most vibrant and interesting
destinations. The island and its capital city, Port of
Spain, are both industrial and cosmopolitan. In fact,
Trinidad and Tobago is the largest oil exporter in the
Western Hemisphere and one of the most industrialized
nations in the West Indies. About the size of Delaware, the
island of Trinidad boasts a profusion of floral growth and
an incredibly diverse population. Once a prime destination
for business travelers, it is now becoming a serious
vacation destination. There is plenty to see here, from the
Asa Wright Nature Center, devoted to naturalists and bird
watchers, to the more traditional tourist attractions like
the Queen's Park Savannah, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and
the Magnificent Seven, a strand of impressive colonial
houses reflecting Trinidad's unique heritage. Port of Spain
serves as your gateway to this lush tropical island with
echoes of its colonial past.
Martinique:
To the Arawak, Martinique was their treasured "isle of
flowers." Lying in the Lesser Antilles between Dominica and
St. Lucia, the island is a tropical paradise of dense rain
forest, rolling savanna and stunning beaches. The rich
volcanic soil nourishes banana plantations and pineapple
fields as well as mangoes, papayas, lemons, limes, and West
Indian cherries. Little wonder that Columbus praised
Martinique as the "best, most fertile, most delightful, and
most charming land in the world." Martinique's cultural
heritage is as rich and bountiful as its soil. The island
has been governed by France for over three centuries. Today
an overseas department of France, the island boasts a
culture that is a unique and zesty blend of French,
Caribbean, African and Middle Eastern influences, resulting
in that spicy combination called Créole. Créole culture is
reflected in Martinique's architecture, cuisine, language,
and music. For years the mayor of Fort-de-France was the
internationally acclaimed Créole poet Aimé Césaire. Five
centuries after Columbus made his landfall, Martinique
remains a rare flower in the Caribbean.
This is a really pretty island and the people are
very polite and friendly. Carol did
not
want another garden tour so we simply wandered around and found an
excellent
French bakery with out of this world chocolate croissants
and chocolate eclairs.
Totally yum yum. Carol purchased a very
pretty purple beach cover-up. A perfect
day! |
The island of Martinique as seen from the
portside balcony on the Promenade Deck
of our ship. |
Aruba:
Dutch influence still lingers on this balmy Caribbean
island, part of the former Netherlands Antilles until its
independence in 1986. Aruba is a contrast: the island's arid
interior is dotted with cactus and windswept divi-divi trees
while secluded coves and sandy beaches make up its coast.
Aruba's long and colorful heritage is reflected in its
dialect. Called Papiamento, it is a tongue that combines
elements of Spanish, French, Portuguese, Dutch, African and
English.
Lou presented Carol with a pendant and
earrings - an early Christmas gift.
Videos:
Kory Simon
Kory Simon 2
Baked Alaska
Random
Stuff:
Another shot of Carol with
her new jewelry. |
Carol ordered an early
birthday cake for Lou. |
Here we are at the Crown
Grill - our favorite specialty dining venue. |
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There is a cruising tradition
that we had never heard of before this cruise:
Passengers bring rubber duckies to hide on the
ship for other passengers to find. Carol
found a "lucky duck" hidden in a plant display
at the entrance of the Crown Grill. |
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Cruise Log:
11/25 Ship
We are departing on our 14 day circle Caribbean cruise on
the Emerald princess. This is my 37th cruise and it just
does not get old.
11/26 Ship
Day One was pretty spectacular. We ended the night at our
favorite piano bar with our all time favorite Princess
entertainer, Kory Simon. He's got an incredible vocal range
and has mastered the ivories. He always involves the
audience and that makes it so much fun.
11/28 St. Kitts
Lazy day by the pool with burgers, pizza and margaritas.
11/29 Guadeloupe
our first and probably last time to Guadalupe a French
colony. It did not seem like you're classic Caribbean
tropical island. instead it felt built up with lots of tall
buildings. St Anne on your own excursion was supposed to be
a short bus ride to a quaint village with cafes and
shopping, followed by a short walk to a beach. Instead it
turned out to be a 60 minute plus ride out to a tiny
shopping area surrounded by traffic and lots of noise...
nothing worth while here. We struggled to fill the 2 hours
we were given on our own and at the end we ended up getting
a soaking while we walked from the original meeting point to
the new meeting point about half a mile away. The tour guide
is French and she had a difficult time speaking clearly in
English as her sentences were not completed so we were not
sure what she meant. I would give this tour and island a one
star at best.
11/30 St Lucia
today. dolphins/whale watching cruise. lots of pilot whales
and hundreds of dolphins! no pictures of the mammals. the
sea was too rough!
12/1 Barbados
Carol and I took a long walk into town about a mile each way
where we bought some shirts and had some local food. We then
spent 4 hours in the ship sanctuary on deck 17 enjoying
drinks food and in the shade overlooking the city. We are
now on hour balcony enjoying more beverages before we head
to dinner in 2 hours. After dinner we plan to go listen to
our favorite piano player Kory Simon and then do some
gambling.
12/2 Grenada
Pretty island and ease of access. We walked off the ship and
walked about a 100 yd to a very nicely laid out and air
conditioning shopping area With nice stores and a few
restaurants and watering holes. Did not stay long as we are
not professional shoppers although Carol got sunglasses and
I got another Hawaiian shirt.
Later Carol is getting a massage on the ship while I consume
a few beverages by the pool.
12/2 Grenada
Spoke to Kory on deck about music.
12/4 Martinique
12/6 aruba
Today was a great fun day. We stayed up late last night at
the piano bar so today we slept in till 10 AM. We had coffee
and some croissants in the International cafe to start our
day. We then walked off the ship into downtown Aruba where
we walked around several blocks looking at bars andStores
finally ended up buying a few shirts and Carol got some
Christmas presents. We had healthy lunch in the buffet where
we both had huge salads. Good to have rabbit food after days
of yummy food. Later we walked around the ship before dinner
and dinner consisted of pork tenderloin for me and chicken
white chili for Carol. After dinner we went to karaoke where
Carol sang "Walking After Midnight" and "Have You Seen Rain
on a Sunny Day". No video because I fat thumb the recording.
We ended our day at the piano bar once again with our
favorite entertainer Kory. See the video of the insanity.
12/7 Ship
An excellent day spent at sea on board Emerald princess. We
spent a considerable amount of time in the casino playing 3
card poker. When not in the casino seems like we were eating
including our second dinner at Crown grill. Casino treated
me well the first week but not so well the second week. I am
currently down a little bit and so will try to regain
tomorrow which means I probably will lose more. Carol on the
other hand won $827 on a slot machine today. Carol also
found her first duck.
12/8 Ship
Our last day aboard the Emerald princess was fun fun except
for the casino taking back everything that gave us last
week. We are all packed and ready to walk off the ship first
thing Saturday morning. We started our day by spending a few
hours in the sanctuary comfortably having coffee and light
food. I have not been hungry in about a week and if I ever
eat again it will be way too soon.
Carol have enjoyed the past 14 days on board ship very much
as we think we have found our stride RROK just hanging out
and not trying to cram much into our day.
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