Caribbean Cruise - Part 5

The first port of call was San Juan, Puerto Rico.............and I have never known anything about Puerto Rico.........this would be an adventure for us.......no real idea of what we would do or where exactly we were going once we hit shore. I suppose Puerto Rico is about as close to being a U.S. state as it gets...........we are definately in US territory here.........this is a good thing.

When we reached port, I could see that San Juan was pretty much like any major port in any major city. I am positive that it would take several days to really get a good look and experience what San Juan has to offer............but.......we only have the late afternoon and early evening hours at our disposal before we head off to St. Thomas. This means......no beach for us this day.

But as we entered the port, we could see a fort and we figured that would be something we would like to see a bit more closely.

The cruise ship docks at an area called Old San Juan. Think of it as a sort of Williamsburg......Puerto Rico style. We got off of the ship and headed through the streets towards the fort. No map......just guesswork.

If you are fit and healthy, its a great thing to stroll through the streets wherever you find yourself..........it's a whole 'nother story when your upper thighs start burning, though. For me......that means I have to stop for a bit and rest........and this is a good thing because you actually take some time to absorb your surroundings and maybe notice the little stuff you otherwise wouldn't.

The streets were narrow and at times the sidewalks were crowded. It was a bit reminiscent of New Orleans.......well....at least the French Quarter part............without the smell.....hehehehe.

It is obviously a very historic area and I imagine it takes alot of income to actually live in Old San Juan.

I saw these steps and immediately thought of the Exorcist movie........you remember the part where the guy gets tossed down those steps in Georgetown?

Well......we meandered our way towards the fort....and we were getting close. Meanwhile, there is much to see along the way, such as this view of the wall that surrounds Old San Juan.......yes...it is a walled city.......remnants of history.

And in the back of your mind.......is.......Christopher Columbus.

Because Christopher Columbus did indeed tread on this ground......yep.....right here. Ahhhhh, we finally could actually see the fort in the distance. Just when you think you are getting real close.....you look and see that there is a shitload of walking just ahead.

Fort San Felipe del Morro.............and guess what?.......it is a US National Park! Oh well......I have come this far...I suppose I will hobble the rest of the way.

Damn, my thigh hurts......and I am only halfway up that very long sidewalk. But it is okay.......I stop and suck it all in and look around me.........what a view! What a gem this is........and what a history this place has!........and I am there!

Finally..........time to cough up the three bucks and enter the fort.

Think Fort McHenry..........Puerto Rico style. This was the courtyard where troops would assemble.

I entered assorted rooms.......one of which still had the cannons standing in defense.

Up on the rooftop.......the lighthouse.........still working after so many years. I stood there and wondered about how many hurricanes and tropical storms this place has survived.

From here, I could understand why this site was chosen for a fort........perfect. And to look around me in the distance........breathtaking!

Of course there was the threat of rain......and we were walking......and it is a long walk back to the ship............the story of my life.

And rain it did. We all got rather wet.....but no harm done. Walking back to the ship, we saw the Puerto Rican version of Christmas Lights hung over the streets.

Imagine driving here........I think you are better off walking. I wished we had more time to investigate all of the shops and restaurants we passed by....but we did not. Oh well.......just a taste is sometimes sufficient........and my thighs were killing me.

And finally, we reached the docks where The Grandeur Of The Seas and one of her sister ships sat waiting and looming over everything. Hmmmmm..........total cost of this onshore excursion: $6.00..............not bad at all...........oh, and I forgot the bottled water that Supernurse bought at the fort.

Now we were off to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

Stay Tuned.......Part 6 coming up.

Caribbean Cruise - Part Four

Okay........so we are off and running and the first two days are spent at sea with no land in sight. It is particularly interesting because in my mind I know that at some point the ship will be cutting through the notorious Bermuda Triangle...........and I am going to keep my eye out for anything that resembles a time tunnel.....hehehe.......maybe I will keep a sharp eye on people and see if any of them start to dissappear.......hehehe.......well.......somebody has to do it.

One thing that passengers do keep an eye on is what you see in the picture above. It is one of the maps that are situated directly outside of the elevators on each floor.

We had an inside cabin on the seventh level. No portholes, no balcony, but a bit larger than the cabin we had on a previous cruise. Trust me..........it is worth spending a little bit more for a few more inches of space. Anything smaller than this room........and you won't want to find yourself standing in front of your closet............because if you are standing in front of your closet while someone opens the door to the bathroom to get out, as someone opens your cabin door......well.....let's just say "It will leave a mark!"....hehehe.

We were very satisfied with the cabin......and you cannot say enough about the service. It seemed like every time we left the room....we would return to discover that it was cleaned up.

Enough about the room................it is not fancy or extravagant......but so what?.........you only use the cabin for getting dressed and sleeping........ahem.......and.......of course, for the convenience of having a private place to rid your intestines of the huge amount of food that you find yourself ingesting everyday. When you leave your cabin, you have to stroll down the very tight corridor to the elevators. Somehow.....it all makes sense.

Up on the tenth level, looking off of the very back of the ship...........we are motoring along and churning up the waters. No land in sight.

I previously mentioned the sound of the water when I stood on deck at night.........in the picture above, you can see the reason for the sound. This picture was taken from the side of the ship looking toward the rear.

Another view......notice that not too many people seem to be on the decks?.........they must be eating.....hehehe......or in the casino!

Every once in a while I would encounter someone else doing a little investigating. I was up near the very front portion of the ship.

And this is the very front of the ship. Not much to look at, but I suspect that not many people bother to check it out.

Meanwhile...........on the very upper deck of the ship........and on the very back......was a rock climbing wall. No............I didn't do it.

On the front upper deck looking back.....this is what I see.

And here is what I saw when I turned around and looked downward at the front tip of the ship. Again.........notice how there is no land in sight.......anywhere..........and no time tunnels......hehehe.

But it is all good and I am loving every minute of this. So I roam around some more.

No.......it is not a UFO..............it is the Viking Crown Lounge.

The outdoor pool............everyone enjoying themselves...........and at this point, I am ready to finally get to a port of call. Nobody has vanished into the Triangle and it is all good.

Next Up - Part Five San Juan, Puerto Rico

Caribbean Cruise - Part Three

As it goes on a cruise ship, it just so happens that there is a schedule of assorted events and things to do. After eating our dinner in the Great Gatsby Dining Hall (more on eating here in the near future), we had all decided to attend the Meet & Greet The Ship's Captain Cocktail Party which was held in the South Pacific Lounge.

As we entered the lounge, some members of the crew were lined up to greet us. Free cocktails and champagne were given out to everyone. We never got to meet the captain of the ship.......it was rather crowded in the lounge..........

..............but my grand-daughter "Fartknocker" wanted to dance. Why not?.......there was not a soul on the dance floor and the band was playing. This was gonna be interesting............"go ahead....get out there in the middle of the floor and do your thing"..........and she did go out there.....but hesitated......."go on"...."spin around"..........."do it!"................but just one small problem...........

"What's the matter, Fartknocker?........why aren't you dancing?"

............."But PopPop........I have to have a prince!"

Of course!..........a princess must have a prince to dance with on the dance floor..........and there I was...............Prince PopPop. Here we go..........and there are all of these people watching.

"I got you covered Fartknocker........do your thing."

.......so we danced...........just a little bit.

It made her happy..............and I was happy. It is not everyday that this old dude......well, forget me......ANY old dude......gets an opportunity to get these kinds of pictures. I just hope that when she is all grown up, she will be able to remember this moment in time and know how happy she was and how thrilled her PopPop was to be her "prince".

Damn,I am blessed..........even if I have two left feet......hehehe.

Stay Tuned.......Part Four coming soon.

Caribbean Cruise - Part Two

When we left the Port Of Baltimore it was in the very late afternoon........almost dark......the sun had set. When you are out in the open water during this time, there is not very much to see except for the glimmer of lights on the shoreline.........and of course, the Bay Bridge......both of them. I did not take any pictures outside of the cruise ship during our trek down through the Chesapeake Bay. What I wanted was the open water..........and open water was what I got the very next morning.

Looking through one of the portholes on the ship. I came across this view as I wandered around exploring. The Granduer Of The Seas is huge.........but you cannot get lost. If you do not take the time to roam around though..........you miss much.

Somehow......that life preserver seemed to be pitiful........considering the huge expanse of the Atlantic Ocean. If anyone was to go overboard, it would be hard to imagine that you could easily be retrieved. The ship goes along at a fairly good speed and you would NOT be floating in the water anywhere close to the ship. This little fact makes it hard to believe that, once overboard, anyone could toss that life preserver that much of a distance. Hmmmmm......and I did think about such things........I like to be aware of my surroundings..........and I cannot help picturing a worst case scenario.......just in case. Hey......accidents can happen........but after roaming around this ship and its decks......it is very clear that you cannot slip or stumble overboard. One would have to intentionally climb or jump overboard.......and THAT would be suicide. No doubt about it.

No land in sight. Just sky and water. And you would think you would encounter other ships.......and you do.......but not as many as you would think. I may have seen maybe three other vessels in the distance while out in the open waters. The Atlantic......very ominous......and out on deck....the temperature is rising a little at a time as we head south towards the Caribbean. Ahhhhhhhh......this is what I want.

The water was as blue as it gets.........and the wind is strong on the upper deck. I enjoyed just standing here and looking. It was something that I ordinarily do not get to do........but I DID do every day that I was on the ship. Even at night, I would go out on deck and look. It is a different experience at night. The sea is extremely ominous at night......the sound of the ship ripping through the waters...........the breeze.......the dark.........and only the moonlight. My camera could not capture that, so you will just have to take my word for it.

Meanwhile, there is much to do onboard. There is a whole lot of eating to do.......not to mention the casino, the shows, the bars, the bingo........well......there is so much to do if you want to.........or you can just relax and look around.

Now that I have gotten this out of the way......I can tell you about the interior of the ship.......as well as how I spent my time on the ship. Further along, I shall write about the ports of call.

Stay Tuned

Caribbean Cruise - Part 1

It was a chilly day and we had boarded the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Grandeur Of The Seas. It was great to be able to set sail from Baltimore's port......no need for any airline hassles. Very convenient.........and if the State of Maryland would yank its greedy hands out of our pockets, and instead focus on things such as the cruise industry.......well......just maybe those people that DO cruise will be able to feel good about returning home to the Port of Baltimore.

Yep, it was chilly out on deck. We were ready to go, but there is this little requirement on a cruise ship..........it's called "muster". Ordinarily, "muster" to a Baltimoron, is something you would find next to the bottle of ketchup............but today, it means that we all get to put on a life vest and make our way to our assigned "muster" station. Muster............it's that Titanic rehearsal...........practice for the worst case scenario.
My grandkid has no idea what we are doing this for, but she stood there and behaved nicely. I couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind other than "when are we gonna see the mermaids?"

Every passenger......every crew member......all of us......required to be on deck. And everyone standing and waiting and gabbing.......and anxious to get this ball rolling. We all need to get away from this place.

And this is what we are looking at while standing there on deck. It ain't no beach.......and it is not paradise.

Looking to our right towards the rear of the ship.............further indication of where we are........and it is getting downright chilly.

And, finally......"muster" was over.......and we all returned to our cabins and stowed away our life vests.....and started to get down to business. Those who were new to the cruise experience, would now anxiously explore the ship...........and the rest of us who have been here before.....are now relaxed and fully unpacked and assimilated. I went on deck and waited for the ship to leave port. I looked around at my "home" port.........hurry up.....let's get going.........and I look in the distance and see the Key Bridge, which we will be passing under as we leave the port. Beyond that.........the Chesapeake Bay and we we be on our way.

To where?...........to the Caribbean, of course......particularly San Juan, Puerto Rico........Charlotte-Amalie, St. Thomas - US Virgin Islands...........Samana, Dominican Republic........and finally, Labadee, Haiti.

And......off we sailed.

Jamaica Part 11 - The Wrap Up

I guess this is it......the final bit of writing about the Jamaica trip. I really enjoyed it. Sure.........it would have been even better with a little less rain.............but it was all good.

Maybe I will be back there one day...........maybe not...........I just do not know. I would have never imagined even being there in the first place..............but this is special. You cannot imagine what this was like for me.........really. I have told you about the beauty that was there, the people, the sea............and even Halloween.

There is one last thing I have to say about it.

Here is where words are insufficient............I cannot find words to use to describe how I feel.............maybe a few personal favorite photographs here can enhance my words.

The light of my life.............my heart..........my soulmate. Without Supernurse, I would be incomplete. I just love it when she smiles...........and she is happy. That means everything to me.

Maybe I do not deserve to be so blessed and honored to have spent all of these years with her. We have weathered the storms that have ever come our way..........and made it through the challenges of raising a family. And here we are....it is 2007...........I am immensely grateful for her.

How could I NOT have loved every second of my vacation in Jamaica...............because

she.....was with......me.

So there you have it..........the one that makes every thing I do, worthwhile...........my babe, Supernurse.

I offer no apologies for getting all mushy..........

It is Friday........and we board Royal Caribbean's Grandeur Of The Seas this afternoon and head off again for a cruise back down to the Caribbean! I shall be back on the 27th.

I am the luckiest man in the world.