Aug 12 And 13, 2018 - Trip to Amsterdam

Flight to Amsterdam and our First Day

We were up early and on the way to Kelowna by about 6:30 am. We wanted to be in the Kelowna Airport by 9:00. The drive was good but we were in smoke from the fires the whole way. We made it into the airport almost exactly on time and had some time before our flight so had breakfast in the White Spot after we went through security.

Very shortly after we finished, they called us to board our flight, and we were off to Toronto on time. Flying over the Rockies, the smoke from BC filled those valleys as well, reaching to the peaks of most of the mountains.

It was a pretty uneventful flight and we arrived in Toronto in less than 5 hours. Then it was a long 5-hour wait there until our flight left for Amsterdam. Finally, we boarded. We were flying on a 747, and they weren’t fully booked. So despite the seats not being overly comfortable, we were in a row for three, but only the two of us were there. Much nicer than being jammed into the seats.

We managed to sleep a while on the plane, which was good. The meal they served was not a real palate pleaser, and we didn’t eat all of it. Then there was a small snack shortly before we landed.

The flight took just under 7 hours which was also less than we were expecting. The winds must have been in our favor. We landed in Amsterdam at about noon CET on Tuesday, which is 9 hours before Kamloops time. It was about 17 hours from the time we left Kelowna.

Then it was the difficulty in trying to figure out how to get to our hotel. We decided to try the train which took us to Centraal Station. It took about 15 minutes and then we had to figure out how to get to our hotel. It was supposed to be close by, but trying to interpret the street names, find where they were located, dodge the crazy bicycles and scooters, dodge the pedestrians, and not get run over by the cars was an adventure. We took a wrong turn, but when we asked a fellow going by, he was able to show us on his Google Maps where it was located. We were close and only had to backtrack a bit and go down the right street. The thing that identified where it was located was a small street sign and an arrow telling us to go down a small street. Finally, there it was. We checked in and went to our quite nice room.

We ended up having a short nap before we went for our dinner cruise. This cruise left from near Centraal Station so we walked back toward the station to try and find the cruise company. We found it and then had to wait about an hour before we were able to get on the canal boat. It was finally time and we were close to the beginning of the line so we got our choice of window seats.

When everyone was aboard and seated, we were with a young couple. They were celebrating their 1 1/2 year relationship, and it was quite sweet. After a while, we began talking with each other, and they explained a lot about the Netherlands to us. They were most helpful in our understanding of the country and about Amsterdam.

The 4-course meal was great. The food was tasty and hot. After the salad was a cup of something they called cappuccino and red pepper (it tasted just like vegetable soup which is what I think it was).The main course was a choice of veal medallions or salmon in parchment. We had one of each and they were both very tasty. The dessert was a type of chocolate pudding and rhubarb compote. All were very tasty and along with the canal tour around the city made for a very interesting evening.

Slept pretty well until about 2:30 am when our bodies told us it was time to get up. Only dozed until the alarm went off. We had to get up then to go for our tour that day.

Saturday, January 6, 2018 - Back to Fort Lauderdale and Jungle Cruise Dinner

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Didn’t sleep too well last night. Because my phone was on the wrong time zone, I was afraid I would miss the get up time. So, it seemed I was up checking the time, half the night. Then when the alarm went off, I had to check again, and I wasn’t on Ft. Lauderdale time, so it was too early to get up. Back to sleep again, for another hour. Again, it didn’t feel like I slept much.

Finally we were up and showered, so thought we should vacate our cabin so they could start tearing it down for the next guests. We went up to the buffet on deck 9, got our breakfast, found a place to sit, and hunkered down until it was time for our group to leave.

We got the call at about 9:30 and went downstairs to start the procedure. Off the ship, find our bags, line up to go through the customs area, and then find a cab to take us to our hotel. That took about an hour in all, and then when we got to the hotel, our name went on the list of those waiting to check in.

Our Hotel

This provided some more wait time. It was much colder in Fort Lauderdale but the sky was clear and the sun was warming things up. We sat outside and had a coffee/tea, read, knitted, and talked. Our friends, Carl and Martha, had gotten off early, and waited for us at the hotel for about an hour. When we still weren’t there, they decided to take off. They were driving to Sarasota to visit a friend, before driving off to other places. We didn’t get there before they left, but I texted them while we were waiting to tell them that we had a good time and enjoyed their company.

Guests have to be checked out by 11:00, so we had some time to wait until our room was ready. There are a few off our ship who are also waiting, and the order on the list will be the one used for getting into rooms as they become available.

We have a dinner cruise scheduled for this evening, so will have to wait until about 5:00 to call a taxi to take us to the location for this adventure.

We left for the dinner cruise aboard the Jungle Queen Riverboat at about 5:00 pm. It was a fairly short taxi ride (about 10 minutes) and then we had to figure out where the boat was. Our driver let us off at a hotel/.yacht club entrance, but that wasn’t the place. We had to ask a couple different people where it was and finally found it just a short walk away.

Some of the Boats at the Yacht Club

There was a short lineup that we had to go through. They tried to take our pictures but Dawn wasn’t having any of it. We looked around for seats by the water and found a couple where we sat at the edge and were able to see out.


Of course, by the time the ship was full, it was almost dark when we left. I did get a couple shots of some of the boats that were parked at the yacht club, but they weren’t overly much compared to the ones we would see in a while. By then, it was too dark to be able to get photos, so I didn’t bother to take any while we were sailing along the rivers of the Intercoastal.

We went by some very large yachts and houses. The driver talked about one where the yacht cost $60 million dollars and the house cost $40 million. We couldn’t see the house too well because of the light, but we were pretty close to the boats, and they were mostly quite impressive to see. Even the small ones which weren’t nearly as impressive were likely more than we could afford.

Where we sat for Dinner

We toured for about an hour, and then came to the island where the dinner and show were held. It was a private place beside the water. It covered a large area, and the eating area was huge. There were tables set up that were like large picnic tables that seemed able to hold from 8 to 16 people. We were directed to an area, and chose to sit at a table. A couple of young ladies joined us shortly afterwards, but that was all who came to this table.


When we sat down, there were already a couple different types of shrimp there, and we were able to start eating right away. We had to peel the shrimp before eating which was a pretty messy way for us to do it, but they were good. One was cooked plain with lemons, and the other was cooked in some sort of spice. They were tasty, but we didn’t eat too many.,

Lisa, Our Server

On the table, there was also coleslaw in a couple small bowls, and baked beans, also in small bowls. We dished up some of these, and then our server, Lisa, came along with huge trays of barbecued ribs. We could have as much as we wanted, so Dawn took one piece, and I took two. There was so much barbecue sauce on them that they were hard to eat. But they tasted very good. I couldn’t use my fingers because of the sauce, so had to figure out how to cut them up with my knife and fork.


Next, she came with huge trays of barbecued chicken. We each had one piece of chicken breast. They were also quite tasty. There was a lot of food.

Each place had a napkin and a package of wet wipes. There were also a couple rolls of paper towel on the table, which was very important because the napkins didn’t go too far. Dawn and I both took some additional wet wipes from the plates where there weren’t any people. My hands were filthy. I even got some barbecue sauce on the sleeve of my jacket, which wiped off with a wet wipe.

We were freezing, so asked for hot tea and coffee. It took a bit of time, but Lisa was able to get them to us. Suddenly, everyone around us was gone, but we thought we would stay there to watch the show. Little did we know, we had to move to another area where they had a small
theatre.

By the time we got there, the first act was almost over.This was Polynesian Dancers, which was pretty good. There were a couple pretty girls, and a man who dance with the fire baton. It was fun.

They were followed by a ventriloquist. Not spectacular, but he did have some funny moments. We laughed a lot. This guy was followed by a comedian who looked like Dave Chappelle. He had some funny material and played the crowd well.

Finally, the last act was a performed who was Argentinian. He used the bolo balls on a rope and told jokes and danced using those balls. Again, he was pretty funny, and it was pretty impressive how he didn’t hurt himself by the swiftly swinging balls on the end of the ropes.

Jungle Queen Tour Boat

The show ended, and we headed back to the boat. We got the same seats returning, so had a look at the houses and boats on the other side of the river. Overall, they weren’t as spectacular as the side we looked at going to the dinner. However, they were still pretty nice. We can’t imagine how all these places and boats made out during the hurricanes. I’m sure there is still lots of damage that we couldn’t see.


Once back at the dock, we got off the boat and then had to look for a taxi back to the hotel. One finally came along. We got in, told the driver where we needed to go, and he drove us. It was almost like we were disturbing him because he talked on his phone non-stop, the whole time. He was speaking French, and was fairly quiet. Once there, again it was like we were disturbing him because he had to stop speaking to whomever he was talking to to tell us the amount and let us pay for the ride. We weren’t impressed with him, but he was the first driver we had that sort of experience with.

Back at the hotel, we continued to be freezing, so headed to bed with an extra blanket to warm us up. I even turned the air conditioner heat up, which was a mistake overnight when it got too warm. Fort Lauderdale is still suffering under cold temperatures for them. It was in the high 50s last night (about 15 C). It took a while but when I woke up, I had to turn off the TV.

Tomorrow a free day before we fly out the next day.

Friday, January 5, 2018 - Final Day at Sea

Friday, January 5, 2018

Our last day on board the ship. Woke up at what I thought was 7:00, but we were in a different time zone, so it was really 6:00, and it was still dark outside. So, back to sleep for an hour. Then up and shower and then upstairs to have breakfast. We met Martha and Carl up there. They had already eaten, so stayed and visited with us while we ate. They are pretty nice folks and we are happy to have them as friends.

Today is a “sea day” so we will be sailing non-stop until we reach Fort Lauderdale tomorrow morning. We were able to take our time and basically do nothing for most of the time. There was a “debarkation” meeting to get instructions for getting off the ship tomorrow, and we decided to go to it.

The room was the theatre, and it was really cold in there. The music before the presentation was really loud; so loud I could hardly hear Dawn and Carl as we were talking. I said that it was too loud in there, and the music suddenly got quieter. I don’t know if someone heard me, but it was much better.

Finally, the Cruise Director came on the stage. As usual, it is a big production, trying to get the crowd into it. We just wanted to hear about what the procedure would be for tomorrow morning, so could care less about the other stuff she spoke about.

Finally, she got to it. Some people who wanted to carry off their bags themselves would be the first called to leave the ship. Others were given tags with numbers and had to set their bags outside in the evening so the crew could take them downstairs for unloading in the morning.

We were in the second group. So had to be sure that our bags were ready to be put out before we had to go to the lounge for the hockey games. We mostly had things packed when we went down. We could put our bags out in the hallway between 8:00 and 10:30, and we would be watching the Gold medal game at 8:00. Dilemma!!

We decided to go back and finish packing and put them out after the USA game. That game was pretty boring. Most in our group was hoping for the Czechs, but it was definitely not their day. The US really beat up on them. I think the Czechs had played their best games leading up to the Bronze medal game and were no match for the US.

Back to our cabin, finished packing, and put our bags out at about 7:00. Some others on our deck had put theirs out already, so we figured that it wouldn’t be a big problem. Then, back down to the lounge. Someone had paid for a buffet to be set up (I suspect it was Destiny Tours who paid for it) so we got some snacks to eat; breaded shrimp, breaded chicken, cheeses, and fruit. It was nice because we were hungry, and weren’t going to make the dining room due to the games.

Then the Gold game began. Wow! What an exciting game. No scoring in the first period. The Swedish team sure seemed to be stronger than the Canadians, but they were able to hold them off.

In the second period, Canada scored. Along with most of the arena, our room erupted. Lots of clapping and happiness. It was as if people thought that they were on their way to a win. However, the Swedes had another idea and continued to play very well. They scored a short-handed goal close to the end of the period, which took a lot of wind out of our room.

In the third, it was quite tense. Back and forth; each team working to get the advantage. The Swedes looked really scary and seemed able to stifle any good chances that our boys had. The end was getting closer and closer. Canada had a power play with about 5 minutes left and almost scored.

Then, with 1 minute 40 seconds left, the break we were looking for occurred. Canada had some pressure on and was able to get the puck moving around quite quickly. A beautiful pass from the point to a forward just off the net was followed by a tip into the back of the goal. The place went wild. It was looking good.

Sweden pulled their goalie, and we managed to score into the empty net with just under a minute to play. Jubilation. The Swedes pressed, but our boys held them off until the final buzzer.

Dawn and I felt that we were pretty lucky, but clearly, the teams were pretty evenly matched. I’m sure the Swedes thought they were the better team but just didn’t get the luck when they needed it. There were some pretty happy boys in red, and some pretty sad, depressed boys in yellow.

It was a great ending to the game for us. We were able to go back to the room and get ready for our last night on board the ship. Early up in the morning so we could clear out of our room, get breakfast and then leave the ship.

Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 - Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

Amber Cove

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Up as usual in the morning. We were still sailing, and expected to be at Amber Cove about 10:00. Up for breakfast and coffee, and were able to watch us come in. Once the pilot camae on board, we went into the pier. The ship backed in, once again beside the Holland America ship that left early from yesterday’s port.

Docked beside Holland America

When we were ready, we decided to head ashore. It was a fairly long walk along the pier before we got to land. Of course, the port was mostly tourist stuff. We went into many of the stores and purchased a few things. Met up with Carl and Martha and decided to head back to the ship. It was fairly hot, although overcast, so it would be nice to get back to where it was cooler.

We went up on deck to read and look around. After a while, Dawn went back to the cabin to knit and maybe have a nap.

We went downstairs to get set up for the games at about 3:00. The internet signal wasn’t overly strong, so the picture wasn’t the greatest. However, we did watch things and cheered when the Swedes won the game. Then we went up to the buffet for something to eat, and came back down to watch the Canada - Czech game. It got fairly quiet when the Czechs scored first, but once Canada started to get going, things became louder and more raucous.  In the end, the outcome was as we wanted it to be, Canada won 7-2.
We were pretty tired, so off to bed we went. Tomorrow is a day at sea, and then we watch the medal round games; USA vs Chech  for Bronze, and Canada vs Sweden for Gold.

Wednesday, Jan., 3, 2018 - Grand Turk, Turks & Cacos

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Up at 7:00 again this morning. We were still sailing and weren’t expected in Grand Turk until about 10:00 so we went and had some breakfast. Then we looked around, as we arrived in port. Our ship docked right beside a Holland America ship. Lots of people were going to be in Grand Turk today.
Shortly after people started going ashore, we decided to go and have a look. The first thing was to find where we got off the ship. We are having a real problem figuring out the ship’s layout. There are some decks where you can’t get from one area to another farther along.

Finally, we found the spot and got off. It was a walk along the pier before going through the Duty Free shop. Then out into a plaza with a number of stores where souvenirs and expensive clothing could be purchased. We looked through a few of them. Dawn spotted some things she “had to have” so we agreed to stop back and pick them up when getting on the ship.

We sat on a bench outside of “Jimmy Buffet’s Margarita” shop and restaurant. It was crowded and loud ( a DJ was playing and people were drinking). Took a few photos of the beach area, which was very crowded. Lots of people laying on lounges, and others swimming.

Christmas Tree

We decided to head back to the ship. Dawn stopped and picked up the things she had looked at (plus a few more). Then we found Carl and Martha and talked with them for a while. They wanted to do lunch, but we couldn’t find any place that looked appealing, so we'll went back to the ship to eat there.

Sandwiches at the sandwich bar, and some cold drinks. Of course, I ate too much when I went back to the dessert bar and as I write this, I am somewhat uncomfortable. Dawn decided to head back to the cabin for a nap and maybe watch some TV. I went up on the back deck to read and relax.

We’re meeting for dinner at 5:50. Should be finished by 8:00, and then we will likely take in the comedian again. It is supposed to be a different show tonight. There are no games tonight, but there will be the next two nights, so this is likely the last afternoon/evening for “free” time.

Jan. 2, 2018 - Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Our alarm went off at 7:00, and it was up and shower, and then head to the buffet for breakfast. We had just arrived at Half Moon Cay, and they were setting the anchors. Going to the buffet at that time meant there were hardly any lineups, so that was nice. I had an omelette today, just because I was second in line, and it was good.

After breakfast, we sat around for a while, and then decided to go ashore to have a look. They didn’t use tenders to get there.  Instead, there were two ferry boats from shore that shuttled passengers back and forth. They had top and bottom decks which meant they could hold lots of people. Last one back to the ship left at 3:30, so we had lots of times.

Our ship from the Beach

On shore, it was similar to the Princess Cay that we visited one other trip. Shops at the entrance and a short walk to the beach. The sand was white and there were no rocks showing. There were hundreds of lounges set out in rows, all down the beach. Some had shade, but most were in the sun.

Near the water, it was cool because there was a light breeze, but farther away, on the pathways, it got fairly hot. We looked around, met Carl and Martha while looking in the shops, and decided to find the lunch area. It was about 200m farther along, away from the beach.

Lunch for us was a hamburger and some salad and fruit. Not great, but it did the job. Then we decided to head back to the ship. We would beat the rush a little later, and we weren't’ going swimming or sitting on the beach

Then we went up on the read deck to read and knit, and generally relax. Our meeting was in a lounge at 3:30 so we thought to get there early. Good thing we did, because we got good seats, in front of the screen where the games would be shown.

Watching the Games

Canada won the first game we watched against Switzerland. The two guides from Sweden were there, and they had a password to get to see the Sweden game against Slovakia, so we watched that one, too. Finally, we had the USA vs Russia which the US won. We were going to leave early, but when the Russians tied it up, we decided to stick around. Then the US scored again, and then into an empty net, so we left.

Back to our room and ready for bed. Tonight we are sailing, heading to Grand Turk, Turks and Cacos. We won’t be there when we wake up, but the guests can go ashore about 11:15.

Half Moon Cay

Jan. 1, 2018 - Nassau, Bahamas

Monday, January 1, 2018

Woke up in Nassau, docked already. Dawn was still sleeping, so I got up and showered. Then I got dressed, and went out on our deck to have a look around. We appeared to be the only ship there, so had a good view of the houses on our side of the ship. They were out along a spit with water on both sides of them. They looked pretty nice, but I wondered how they made out during the hurricane(s). One of the houses appeared to have roof damage that hadn’t been repaired yet, but most of what I could see looked pretty good.

Roof Damage from the Hurricanes

Dawn got up and went and showered. A large Royal Caribbean ship came in right beside us, which meant our view was done. It was up to the buffet for breakfast. It seems that everybody had the same idea at the same time, so the lineups were huge and slow. It wasn’t overly impressive. The food was alright with quite a selection. Of course, it was difficult to find a place to sit, so we decided to go outside and sit on the deck. It took a while, but we found a place to sit, and then ate.

Then it was time to wander around the ship and see what we could see. We didn’t feel like going ashore, so stayed and took it easy. About 1:30, we went to the Lido deck (where the buffet is located) and went to the back of the ship. There we found a place at the stern to sit and look around. Dawn knitted and I read. Another ship was tied up beside the Royal Caribbean ship, and on the port side of our ship was another, smaller Carnival ship. A busy port.

We figured out what we're going to do that evening (or at least what we wanted to do), and when it was time for dinner (6:00) we moved to the dining room. The show we wanted to attend was at 8:15, so we knew we couldn’t be as long as last night. Too bad, but we were, so it was a fast walk to the other end of the ship for the show.

This show was a music performance of tunes from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. It was high energy and a lot of fun. The songs were great, and the visuals in the background were amazing. The 45 minutes went by very quickly. We’d go back for this one if it is on again and/or there isn’t a hockey game on.

From there, we went to another bar and saw a comedian. He wasn't overly funny, but there were a few of his jokes that were good. It was advertised as a show for adults only, and his language was pretty nasty at times.

Then, back to our cabin, and get ready for bed. We wanted to get up earlier so that we could beat the rush at the buffet. Tomorrow we are in Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas, which is a private beach owned by Carnival, so many will be going ashore. We figure to go ashore and walk along the beach for a while.

View From our Ship