Month: May 2024

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Abs class and gym. Lunch and team trivia.

We really did well at trivia as Thomas backed off from finding the most obscure facts. What is the green substance invented in 1926 to keep a car’s cooling system from freezing? (Antifreeze) Which company had the slogan “Don’t be Evil” but changed it to “Do the Right Thing”? (Google) Name of the book that was about “Big Brother” (1984) Which musical group was the first to record “Proud Mary” (CCR) Which MLB was referred to as the Great Bambino? (Babe Ruth) Which city would you find the Spanish Steps? (Rome)

We arrived in Puerto Rico at 2 pm and it took one hour for us to be cleared to go ashore. Since we are in the USA, everyone must get off of the ship and no one can get back on until the ship reaches a 0 count.

We needed some packing tape and zip lock bags to finish packing so we stopped at Walgreen first.

We proceeded to go to the Don Collin’s cigar shop where we went last time we were here. We sampled some rum and had a cigar. We chatted with a young marine. 23 years old from Long Island. After we talked to him we felt so much better about the future of our country. The marines are one branch of the military that the leaders haven’t messed with. Uh-Rah!

Matt has been a marine for 4 years and has travelled to many places in the world that many his age have not. He assured us that there are many people his age who feel the same way we do about government and political environment. They are just quiet and we hear only the loud ones.

We spent about 90 minutes here, bought some goods and then went to find a restaurant.

We enjoyed some great food at Princesa Restaurant and walked back to the ship. All aboard was 10:30 but we were beat.

Friday is the last day of our cruise and we arrive early Saturday morning. We will have an early breakfast and we are scheduled to debark at 7:45 am and board the airport shuttle at 8:15. All of our bags will be in color coded section of the port. We will find our bags, carry 4 to luggage forward and will each have a carry on, a backpack and the golf clubs for the flight.

If you enjoyed following along. Great. I enjoy looking back on our trip but I’m not sure how I would feel following someone else. These longer cruises are so different from the standard Caribbean Cruise that we probably all have been on. There is no rush to visit all 18 bars on board or to party until the sun rises.

We will be back to blogging on our trip around Iceland in the summer of 2025.…

at Sea

One more stop remains on the trip. San Juan Puerto Rico. Unless something interesting happens after Wednesday I am going to end the blog and pick it up next summer on our way to Iceland.

Today was the mariner luncheon that recognized all 4 and 5 start mariners. Presty said they expected 500 for each of the two luncheons but there were only about 375 at each. The dining room was packed. I haven’t seen it this full during the entire cruise. This tells me that a lot more people are eating at the Lido Buffet where there is really no portion control. The gift that they will take home is the extra wide waist.

Team trivia was with Victoria. What is the main ingredient in hummus? (Chick peas or garbanzo beans) What frozen gas makes dry ice? (Carbon dioxide) What is the measure of electrical resistance? (Ohm) What does it mean when someone is canonized? (They are made a saint) Which Italian cheese means “recooked”? (Ricotta) Which color is the second from the top in a rainbow? (Orange) Which is the second largest Portuguese speaking nation in terms of area and population? (Angola) Which state is closest to Bermuda? (North Carolina) Who wrote the Hobbit? (Tolken) Which creature produces a gossamer? (Spider(web))

We packed one bag this afternoon. We will do the rest after Puerto Rico.

After dinner trivia with Thomas. The Rolling Stones. 10 clips of music. Luckily I am a fan and could name almost all of them. Paint It Black, Satisfaction, Ruby Tuesday, Heartbreaker, Angie, Start Me Up, Gimme Shelter. Brown Sugar was played backward. We missed that. 18 out of 20

Cards to finish the evening. Tomorrow morning before we port is the ship talent show. This should be interesting.…

at Sea

We are traveling almost directly west to San Juan at top speed. The Atlantic continues to cooperate. Looks like rain in San Juan. I think golf is definitely out.

The gym was packed today. Folks have lot’s of lbs to lose before we get back to Ft. Lauderdale. The gym is one place where there is not a HAL employee standing there holding a plate of muffins or cookies.

Almost every day at lunch is a new “theme” at one of the stations. Today it was the “Shwarma” station. People will line up for this as they would for ice cream. Food is found everywhere. Discipline is key to stay healthy.

Team trivia. Just the two of us. The rest of the team were in the Pinnacle for some event. Which zodiac sign has the goat? (Capricorn) What is the largest fruit? (Jackfruit) Who is the fastest man in the world? (Usain Bolt) How many valves does a trumpet have? (3) What is sonography? (The study of ultra sound) What is the capital of Austria? (Vienna) What color is the 5 ball in pool? (Orange)

We went to a presentation on the top ten astronomical events in the past year. We lasted 20 mins or so. Too slow. Too much repetition. I am fascinated by this kind of presentation but I am not patient enough for the presentation. I’d rather read about it.

We met Nancy and Stan for dinner. We shared stories about the safari we each took. We both had pictures and stories to share. We also agreed that the worst stop was The Gambia. I’m sure HAL will reconsider this location.

Our dinner went long and we missed group trivia. The evening entertainment was a group called the String Fever.

2 brothers, a sister and a cousin. Three played 5 string electric violins and one played a 5 string ‘cello. The cellist played the bass parts and provided the drum set by making sounds into the microphone. They were outstanding. By far this was the best group of the trip. They did a few medleys. One was a medley of 40 different movie themes. Another on was a medley of 10 operas. Great stuff. Very accomplished players and the humor was good. They did one vocal number because it was necessary in the piece that showed off their instrument technique. Singing was a 2 but the performance by far made up for it. The tune was “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”. I gave them a 10!…

at Sea

The crossing of the Atlantic is nice. I don’t remember a crossing this smooth.

Often times after the room stewards have finished with your room they will leave behind a towel creation. Today around the Lido pool there were many creations. Probably a competition amongst stewards.

It is time to consider packing options. Laundry service ends tomorrow. We should be ok with delicate items. The ship folks manage luggage carefully. The Ft. Lauderdale Port folks are very rough with items.

Team trivia. What is the largest island in the world? (Greenland) Which company used the slogan “A diamond is forever?” (De Beers) Which Martin Scorsese film dropped the F-bomb more than any other? (Wolf of Wall Street) What is known as a “Sea Cow?” (Manatee) What is the most Ed used flavor enhancer? (MSG) How did Joan of Arc die? (Burned at the stake) What is the three word motto of Rice Krispies? (Snap, crackle, pop)

Today we were being recognized for earning a silver medal. This has to do with the actúa number of days on a ship. We have been HAL cruises for a total of 351 days when this cruise ends. Free drinks and a picture with the Captain took place in the Crow’s Nest.

After dinner we went to group trivia. The topic was Queen. None of the team was a fan of Queen but we assumed there would be history questions involved that we might be able to answer. No such luck. Thomas played clips of 15 different tunes by Queen. Clare and Susie got up and left. The three of us managed to get 9 correct. We Will Rock You was played backwards but we still figured that one out. Other folks left in a huff also. This age group doesn’t know enough Queen to make it fun.

The evening entertainment was vocalist Suzanne O. Davis. The show was tunes from the Carol King songbook. She was a strong vocalist and great pianist. She did a medley in the middle of her set that didn’t go as well as the rest of her act. I gave her a 9. Terri had a good nap.…

at Sea

We are on our way across the Atlantic Ocean. The crossing looks like it will very smooth and we are going top speed to get to San Juan. The Captain says we will probably arrive one hour early.

I did the promenade deck and Terri did the treadmill. Great view and nice weather on the deck.

Team trivia. Which country had the most VCRs in 1990? (Japan) Who was on the cover of Time magazine the most times? FDR, Churchill, Stalin (Stalin) Who won an Oscar for best supporting actress in the Miracle Worker? (Patty Duke) Which fabric was used on the seats of the Gremlin in 1973? (Denim) What play was Lincoln watching when he was assassinated? (Our American Cousin) How long does an Olympic basketball game last? (40 mins) What is the best selling brand of Gin (Gordons) Which character from Leave to Beaver became a police officer? (Eddie Haskell)

After trivia was a Kentucky Derby event. 5 HAL employees dressed in costume with a horse on a stick. Kimberley rolled a die and the horses moved that many places. All of the passengers could “vote” for their favorite and the winners would receive a complimentary drink. It was hilarious!

There was also a Derby Hat competition. There were about ten folks that created hats. Some brought them from home and they were nice but the winner of the hat competition was a woman that wore a HAL duffle bag on her head with decorations on it. The winner was decided by the amount of applause.

We had dinner in the Pinnacle with Joe and Ann. We talked about future cruises and meeting up in Michigan this summer.

The evening entertainment was a performance by the Flyrights.

Another great performance of Motown tunes!…

Mindelho, Illa de Sao, Cape Verde

We arrived and were cleared to go ashore at 7 am. Golf is out of the question and going on a tour is not really reasonable given the all aboard time of 2:30. We have been here before and decided just to walk around town. We went to the gym first and were on our way by 10 am.

We walked around and decided to stop in a grocery store to price coffee and Ponche. We made some notes and then walked to the outdoor market. We passed people selling fish on the street. Flies everywhere. Not too appetizing but they will end up on a plate for someone.

We decided on a place for lunch. We had a few drinks on each had a salad. Nice place with good food.

We finished our lunch and went back to a grocery store that we had gone to on our last trip. We picked up some coffee beans from Fogo Island and also some Ponche and Grogue. We hopped on the shuttle bus and went back to the ship. It was about 1:30 and all aboard was 2:30.

Upon boarding the ship and putting our bag through the scanner the attendant asked if we had any bottles. I said yes and he directed me toward another attendant. I told him it was after shave. He didn’t buy that but I did convince him that the one bottle was just punch. Ponche is punch in Portuguese. He let that one go by and just confiscated the one.

There was a sail away at 2:30 with complimentary wine and cheese. We went up to the Lido pool and grabbed a table. The Captain announced at 2 pm that the fuel was taking longer to load on the ship and he was extending all aboard until 6 pm. What a waste as none of the people who are still in town would learn about the change until they got back and none of the folks aboard were going back out.

Folks consumed massive amounts of wine until 5 pm. The Captain announced that he would need to go full speed across the Atlantic to get to San Juan at the correct time.

We left the port during dinner and were already going top speed while we went to group trivia.

Who was the first person to sail in to New York Harbor? (Hudson) Who lives in a pineapple in the sea? (Sponge Bob) What was originally called the Blue Ribbon Sports (Nike) Where are the Crown Jewels? (Tower of London) What is the body of water that separates New Zealand and Australia? (The Tasmanian Sea) Where was Barbara Streisand born? (Brooklyn, New York) The same team usually wins this game. It is good for some laughs.

We decided to watch movie to end the evening. We boarded the elevator and joined 3 others on our way up to deck 6. We stopped on 5 to pick up another couple. We have seen this couple before. She is almost as wide as the hallway and he would be the same if he turned sideways. Friends of ours have nicknamed this couple “A lot of real estate”. They boarded the elevator and the lights began to flash. “Car Overweight, Car Overweight, Car Overweight”. This was a first for us but the couple just got off as if it has happened before. I took a look at the maximum weight and passengers posted on the elevator. 18 passenger max. 1350kg maximum weight. That is over 2975 lbs. None of the 5 on board were over 200 lbs each in my estimation. Terri and I weigh 300 lbs combined. You do the math.

I’m guessing that everyone on this cruise is taking home a few extra lbs both in their suitcases and themselves. We have a lot of wine to figure out how to get home.…

at Sea

I had booked a round of golf in Cape Verde weeks ago. Unfortunately, the course is not on the island where we port and there is not enough time to travel to the other island, play a round and return by all board time of 2:30.

Golf in Puerto Rico is not looking good. The course that is close enough to the port of San Juan is closed because of huge amounts of rain. We would only have enough light for 9 holes as we don’t arrive until 3pm. We are hoping they may open when we arrive.

One day at sea and then Mindelo, Cape Verde. It will be a short day and I think we will just spend time around the downtown area.

Group trivia. What was the Indy Pace Car in 1964? (Mustang) What did Leonarda Nimoy need to replace every 3 days in the 1960s? (Ears) In which sport would you meet the undertaker? (Wrestling) Where was India ink developed? (China) Which author said fear and death were a human constant? (Stephen King) Which island was returned to the Japanese in 1972 (Okinawa) How many spaces on a Monopoly board? (40) What was the original name of the Ed Sullivan Show? (Toast of the Town)

We watched a fashion show hosted by the shops on the ship and featured ship passengers. It was fun. Some of the folks on the runway we knew. Terri would have done well here. We have to stay informed!

We had dinner with Janet and Brian. We have a lot to talk about and have a lot of laughs. We talked about getting home. We have a direct flight to Detroit from Ft. Lauderdale. 2.5 hours. Janet and Brian are going to Atlanta and then Calgary. Long day for them.

Are dinner went past trivia time so we missed that. The entertainment is essential done for us. The Zuiderdam singers and dancers just don’t cut it for us. The comedian who drove around Africa wasn’t very funny. There is a passenger talent show tomorrow night. That could be fun!

Cards to finish the evening.

…

Banjul, The Gambia

We arrived at the Banjul port at 7 am. We have a HAL tour and the meeting time is 7:45. The title of this tour is the Makasutu Culture Forest and Canoe Adventure. The title of the HAL tours rarely communicate what will actually happen on the tour. This tour was a replacement tour for one we had scheduled before the itinerary change. It was also a complimentary tour for booking the cruise before a certain date.

Our imaginations said we would be hiking through the bush and paddling some canoes. It sounded like fun.

We boarded a bus and took a 45 minute ride to the park. The road appeared to be the only paved road in this area. The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa. It may also be one of the poorest. Along the way we noticed dilapidated buildings along both sides. Garbage appears everywhere. It reminds me of weeds back home. If you don’t stay on top of them they get out of hand. Here, the old Pepsi bottle is like a weed. The difference is there isn’t anyone who cares enough to take care of it. The guide on the bus told us that The Gambia is very poor but you will always see the people smiling. No one was smiling on the bus. It appears that no one has a care in the world here. Maybe there is some kind of message here. It was difficult getting photos along the road. These do not convey what we saw.

We arrived at the culture forest. I don’t know what I expected but this definitely wasn’t it.

Two English men bought this property back in 1992. It was almost completely deforested by locals looking for food and timber. The men planted 15,000 trees and tried to bring the forest back and to create an Eco-Retreat. This is the most expensive resort in the country. That tells you everything you need to know.

You can make your own judgement on this photo. The man in front of the cart was smiling as much as the children were. They were all waiving at the folks on our bus. They looked very happy and very well taken care of.

After we arrived we made a pit stop.

We then climbed in to two canoes. I guess we weren’t going to paddle. We went up and down the river. There wasn’t much to see. Lot’s of mangrove on both shores. When we reached the resort lodges we turned around and came back.

Lunch was next. We were entertained by a man playing a Balafon. He had the instrument backward and seemed to only know one tune. He did have a “bad” look though.

There were remnants on the property of things that may have been nice at one time. A built in swimming pool (now empty). A four story platform to get a view of the area. I did manage to climb up. The stairs were made of steel and all were rusted. Some had spots where it was obvious that a foot went through.

After lunch we were led to a market area where people tried to sell you things. We didn’t spend much time here.

This tour just reinforced why we don’t do the ship excursions. They are really geared towards 85 year old folks. We are moving closer to that age but right now we can get around quite well. There wasn’t much to see. The ride through the city was probably the most educational.

We did get back early enough for dinner and then met the folks for trivia. What man helped the Lone Ranger both on TV and radio? (Tonto) Which pianist had a TV show in the 1950s and 1960s with his brother George? (Liberace) Which Gene Autry tune became a famous Christmas Song? (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) Which famous Soviet leader died in 1953? (Joseph Stalin) What is a fight between two rival gangs called? (Rumble) Which Ayn Rand novel described her philosophical system that included libertarianism? (Atlas Shrugged) Which television series featured Herman, Grandpa, Lily, Eddy and Marilyn? (The Munsters) Which dog food makes its own gravy? (Gravy train) Which group had its all time hit Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin) Which famous quote is attributed to Joe Friday of the Dragnet TV series? (Just the facts ma’am)

The ship is rockin’ and it is windy. Too windy for cards out on the deck.…