The party is over...

Upon returning to the ship, here's the reminder I received that my vacation is over from the room attendant:

It's time to pack.  This is what my bed looked like when I returned from my time on Half Moon Cay. 

Final Day: A third trip to the beautiful island of Half Moon Cay

My final stop on the cruise was Half Moon Cay, or Little San Salvador Island.  It is part of the Bahamas.  It is a private island, owned by Holland America Line, that it purchased in 1996 for $6 million.  That explains our stop each week as we've left or returned to Florida.  It's a beautiful island.

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My main activity today was to explore the island by bicycle.  I was on the tour with a couple from Wisconsin.  We learned about the natural surroundings.  It's true ... once you learn to ride a bike you never forget! 

Here are a few of my shots from the day.

Folks were heading off for various excursions.  My tour was within walking distance... a bike ride on the island.

One of the stops on the bike ride was where they keep the horses.  These folks are learning/preparing for a ride on the beach.

I took this tour with a couple from Wisconsin.  The guide is telling us a little about the size of the island here.

The beach is truly beautiful on this island.

The riders, having mastered the skills, set out on their tour of the island.

We stopped along the beach, and the guide took this photo of me with the Eurodam in the background.

The plants were truly beautiful, and they've even placed shells to mark the path.

My bike awaits me.  It's a good thing it was an "old-style" bike like its rider.

We also stopped by the area where I rode the jet ski two weeks ago, but to note the sea life.

Note the jellyfish in the shallow water.  This type doesn't sting.

A stingray and tropical fish seem to be getting along.

Here's a female sting ray swimming in the shallow water.

After the bike ride, it was "beach time" for me.  I had a few margaritas in that beach chair,  and I took a few dips in that clear, cool water.

All things Dutch…

It’s a sea day.  I’ve attended several activities this morning, and I plan to visit the classical musicians at the Lincoln Center Stage for a performance at 2:30 this afternoon. 

I just returned from a Q & A with the captain of the Eurodam.  Captain Werner Timmers is originally from the southern part of the Netherlands (Roosendaal).  He thought he would go to school to be involved in building construction.  He attended a career day while in high school similar to those held in so many schools in which I’ve worked.  He wasn’t fascinated with those folks in the building trades, but he was mesmerized by a captain of a ship. 

Captain Timmers later attended a maritime school (Nautical Academy in Vlissingen, Holland) to learn and prepare for a career in shipping and navigation.  He has such a great sense of humor (a dry wit), and he now currently lives in Florida.

Even though Holland America is owned by an America Corporation (Carnival), the Dutch traditions are still strong.  So we have Dutch Art (and pictures of Dutch Royalty) everywhere on this ship.  This particular ship has lots of the works by Rembrandt.  The stairways are filled with his self-portraits.

With the name "Holland" in the shipping line, you have to have a few items with Queen Beatrix.

A self-portrait of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn.  I guess it's the equivalent of a "selfie."

And another "selfie" of Rembrandt.  Kind of an interesting pose?

... and another one.  These are photos of the self-portraits I found looking at me each day  in the stairwell outside my cabin..

Amber Cove and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

I took a cultural and historical tour today.  The ship came in to the dock at Amber Cove, and I took a bus to the nearby city of Puerto Plata.  The city of Puerto Plata is said to be where Columbus visited after leaving San Salvador. 

The tour included the center of the city with its plaza and Victorian style buildings.  While in the plaza, the group visited the church and learned more about stone and amber found on the island.  The surroundings looked familiar, and the group was told that they shot a good bit of the original Jurassic Park in this area.  I also have  a coconut water which is a specialty of the region.

I also got a chance to go the Brugal Rum Factory to see how rum is distilled in the Dominican Republic.  We had a sampling of two types of rum. 

The bus took us along the waterfront and we visited the San Filipe Fortress that was built in 1564 to protect the coast from pirates. 

The final stops were at a combination restaurant, garden, and artist studio, and a museum dedicated to the first president of the Dominican Republic who rose to power in the late 1800s.

The ship arrived early at Amber Cove.  It's part of the Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic and Haiti are on the island of Hispaniola.  The DR is not as poor as Haiti.

You can rent all kinds of places (chair, bungalow, etc.) for the day when staying at the beach.

I visited another rum factory today. 

The god of the sea, Neptune, is protecting the city of Puerto Plata.

The main square in the city.  Lots of people and pigeons.

The island is known for its stone deposits and the ancient amber.

I visited the Catholic Cathedral while at the square.

Coconut water is one of the items sold by the street vendor.

Each member of our tour group was given a coconut to taste the water.

Some unusual folks are around to photograph.

A picture from atop the fortress.

We went to the home of a local artist who also gardens.  His son runs the restaurant where we had lunch.

The sign in front of the restaurant.  The food was great!

It seems I’m more coordinated on a Segway than walking

I’m not so coordinated.  I stumble, run into walls, and, at times, lack basic walking skills.  It seems, however, I am pretty good on the Segway. 

The group took off after a few basic lessons on how to operate a Segway.  We saw some of the town and the beaches of this island.  Although it was overcast, It was fun to spend about an hour touring the island with this form of transportation on such a beautiful and flat island.

Although we were docked, you could still feel the movement of the waves onboard the ship.

It was overcast and windy when I walked ashore.  The weather improved, and some folks even took advantage of the beach.

It seems that Jimmy Buffett does serve cheeseburgers in paradise throughout the Caribbean.

Another thing off the bucket list: hey, I'm pretty good at maneuvering on a Segway.

I took this shot as I moved down the road on my Segway.  We're all lined up following the tour guide.

Grand Turk is part of the British West Indies.  The buildings are similar to those in Bermuda.

This beautiful beach once had a hotel in front of it, but it was destroyed by a hurricane.

Time to say so long to the Segway and return to the main shopping drag of the island.

It is believed that Christopher Columbus landed on Grand Turk.  We know, for sure, that John Glenn landed off the coast of Grand Turk in 1962.

Grand Turk

Two weeks ago we had to sail on by Grand Turk because of the sea conditions.  Today we were able to dock, but it’s an overcast day with some rain.  Conditions are such that they’ve canceled water-related excursions (e.g., scuba diving, snorkeling, and catamaran sail).  I’m scheduled to take a tour on a Segway, and it hasn’t been cancelled at this point.  I’m hoping the weather will clear (or at least no rain while I’m on the island).

It's a beautiful beach, and I bet it looks even better on a clear, sunny day.

I don't think all those chairs will fill up with sun worshipers today.

I hope the rain holds off when I take my Segway tour.  Let's hope I can master the principles of Segway navigation quickly.

A three-week cruise versus 3 one-week cruises…

I discovered cruising in 2012 (see some of my first blog entries).  Before that I did the traditional one week trips in which I tried to see two cities in my one week of free time from work.  You know, for example, staying in Florence for a couple of days followed by a train trip to Rome for the remainder of the week before flying home.  It required lugging suitcases and traveling at the beginning, middle, and end of the week’s vacation.  That’s a lot of work for a vacation.

Cruising meant the hotel room went with you when you explored multiple cities during a week’s vacation.  No extra work of moving and lugging luggage from city to city except at the beginning and end of the week.

Since retirement, I can now do multiple weeks of traveling.   It’s been great on cruises because you unpack and stay unpacked for the multiple weeks of the trip.  The hassle only occurs at embarkation and disembarkation. 

The multiple weeks of cruising I have taken in the past have been multiple week cruises.  This 21-day trip has been different:  it’s actually been 3 one-week cruises linked together.  Other than ports of call, there’s been no attempt to make it vary some with sea day activities. 

That’s okay because you miss things the first week and you have a chance to repeat them during week two.  But it can get a little old by the third week.  There are the same movies, the same jokes by the captain and cruise director, repeats of the nighttime shows, etc.  So, I’ve learned the difference between a multiple week cruise and a collection of cruises marketed together. 

I'm not complaining, but I prefer the longer itinerary cruises rather than a collection of one-week cruises that are back to back.

A "collection" or three "one-week" cruises that have been put together.

An example of a multi-week cruise.  I took this 14 day cruise in mid-2016. 

Learning a little about the history of Key West, Florida

I took a tour today which included a drive around the island of Key West to hear more about its history.  Key West was one a large and important military base.  The naval base was responsible for the protection of the US Coast (from pirates in the 1800s and other enemies later in our history). 

The base was eventually shuttered, and most of the buildings on Duvall Street (the main drag of the Old Town region) were boarded up.  They were sold at little at very low cost from an enterprising mayor who made folks fix them up; he knew that tourism could transform the economy of his city. 

The drive included reaching the southernmost point in the United States.  I also did tours of Ernest Hemingway’s home (photos allowed, but you couldn’t pick up the cats that roam the property) and the “Little White House” (no photos inside) which was used by Harry Truman as one of his working retreats from Washington, DC.

The day was windy, and a front is moving through the Keys soon.  The waves were rough on the beaches, and I hope it moves through quickly so rough when we head back to sea later this afternoon.

You cannot go any further south and remain in the USA.  Cuba is closer than that closest Wal-mart (120 miles)

Ernest Hemingway arrived in Key West in the early 1930s and wrote about a dozen novels and short stories.

Descendants of Hemingway’s original polydactyl cats still inhabit the property.  Polydactyl cats are born with more than the usual number of toes on one or more of its paws

Hemingway's master bedroom

Hemingway's office where he wrote many stories was once connected by catwalk to his second floor bedroom.

Hemingway did his writing in this office when he lived in Key West.

The front of the Hemingway House.

The "Little White House" still is visited by children of many of the presidents.

The beachfront Westin where ships dock was recently purchased by Jimmy Buffet and has a new name.