Norwaylady

No 💨 I said to Mr when we returned to the city that this is not a good option on windy days! you will be covered in sand from top to toe and no need to visit the spa😅😆 And the snorkelling will be heavy due to waves 🌊

Yes!!!!! I had to walk backwards and reverse….😂😂😂 👀 I saw them in my sight walking by.

After showering off the sand and salt…. We needed a little snack & coffee. So downstairs to Al Bacio we walked😋 We had some sandwiches and coffee to recharge🔋 After that, we returned upstairs. I wanted to make a sunset video from our balcony and have a little downtime before we kicked off the evening on Captains club senior officers party. IMG_2733.mov Tonight’s show is Elysium. We have seen it several times and have a new chance next week🙃 I made my video from the balcony wall. When we were ready, we went to Sunset to enjoy the view and wait for the captain’s club event.

🚕 A hat and sunglasses are absolutely necessary in the Caribbean! it’s very strong sunlight and you need to protect the eyes and the head from getting sunburned😎👒🧢

You walk thru the fortress, over the pedestrian bridge and just keep right in the city centre. It’s signs for Mambo Beach. You are walking among the colourful streets and it’s a sidewalk all the way. At some point you can walk down on the ocean. (It’s not a detour) You are passing the sports complex and playground for children. it took us around 1h from the ship to Mambo. I didn’t walk fast (I have my anchor ⚓️ behind me🤣🤣❤️) After 2/3 of the trip you have a large grocery store. They have everything… It’s “the” island store🤭 We used the same time home to the ship. So if you are okey fit and enjoy a walk, it’s a great way to seek out the area🙃 its 5,4km each way.

Tickets for Klein Bonaire on Caribe Watersports r/t is 25USD for each person. Boat leaves from a bar 450m from the ship. Its departure every hour 9.15-10.15-11.15 etc. We booked tickets online. We booked for the 10.15 departure. Boat ride is around 25.minutes. Klein Bonaire is a nature reserve. So no infrastructure on the island. You must bring everything you need. It’s a coral 🪸 reef surrounding the island. So bring a snorkel 🤿 It’s crystal clear water and soft white sand. We relaxed, took a dip in the ocean and went for a walk. what happens when you have big differences in waves🤔🤔🤔 just forget about spelling Happy Easter 🤣🤣🤣 At 13.45 we took the boat back to downtown. It was really nice and relaxing 😎 Mr wanted a local 🤭🍺🤣 Surprised? We went to the brewery so he could get a local 🍺 After the beer, we went back onboard. Today’s canapés had arrived: Shore excursion had left a message for b2b guests. they offered the Everglades tour as an option on turnaround. Deadline for booking is 30.march 20.00.

Good morning everyone! We are docking in Bonaire as I’m typing this text. We have no big plans for today. It’s just go by the flow😇 Mr was awake🤔🤔🤔🤭 So that means we can pick anything for breakfast😋🥰 We decided for MDR breakfast. So he can have eggs & I my usual breakfast in peace and not rush around. It was not crowded when we arrived, it was quiet before the rush🤣🤣 When we left it was streaming in the door and rush hour was definitely a fact😅🤭 Our breakfast we discussed our options for today. It was space available on a shore excursion 12.20/12.00 to a beach & sightseeing. Or boat trip for snorkelling 🤿 Or take the ferry over to klein Bonaire for a day trip on the beach 🏖️ We decided that we would take the ferry to Klein Bonair🏖️🏖️🏖️ So tickets are booked online and we are preparing for departure😎🏖️

Day 7 Bonaire Cruise Compass

Dinner was good, no big surprises here🙃 crew friendly and good service. it was surprisingly fully booked by guests tonight. Since we didn’t depart until 22.00. Today’s menu: We had shrimp cocktail, salad, quinoa salad, onion soup and lamb kebab. Dessert: Banana fosters & coconut sorbet😋 After dinner it was bedtime 🥱

It was red beets😅🤭

canapés arrived today: This was a new twist… but not our cup of tea😅 the olives 🫒 YES. The rest 🤔🤔 Tonight’s show was Matt McGurk, magic ✨ show. Let’s just say we had our dose of him on Sil last year….. he did 2x shows and magic school🤭 So Mr said no way😝 We will go to sunset bar. Mr was quicker than me getting ready. So he was upstairs watching the sunset when I arrived. He shared a table by a very friendly couple from FL/France. We stayed outside until it was dinner time🥰 the temperature was good and it was a little breeze.

Observations on Equinox As many of you know, she will go into dry dock after her transatlantic. It’s not a full renovation. It’s a necessary maintenance dock to remain sailing. She is ready for some TLC in dry dock. It’s very visible on the water line and you see it well when tendering. Carpets are worn & torn. Lots of tiles are broken or damaged. They must change all carpets on public decks 3-4-5. They are very ready for a change. Some of the furniture in public areas are well used. Visible signs of wear over time. In the theatre the lights in the stairs are partially not functional. The LED strips are partially functional or dead. Our stateroom on the other side is well kept. No big signs of wear and tear😉 curtains, tv and carpet has been changed one round since she was new. So it okay. Personally I think the set-up in the staterooms on S-class is good. It’s not old oldies look and it’s functional. AND the most important for me! It’s a real balcony🩷💛🧡🩷😎 If they do all carpets and furniture in public spaces it will look great again. The outside will receive new paint and the waterline will be fine. That will overall make it look great again 👍🏻 I think Equinox carries her age well🥰💙 So over to something that is more a personal preference thing…. When we started sailing X it was a no policy for visible tattoos on crew. I’m not a big fan of tattoos. (Sorry🤭 you know I’m a bit conservative🤣🤣 in some ways) This has been holding stand and I’m personally not very happy for it. (Had I shown up having a tattoo when I lived home…. Let’s just say that I would be homeless & left out of the testament🤪🫣🤭🫡😵‍💫) My brother has a tattoo on his back and my father was rather furious about for a long time…. I don’t love it🫣 but it’s his right to do so🙃 he’s an adult. I almost feel out of my sun lounger on the second sea day. Someone in a higher position walked over deck 14 in his white short arm shirt 👕 and it was big sleeved tattoo stretching all the way on his arm😳 I was just like 😳😵 what???? No sleeves to cover up? This was not the case on Edge, so I don’t know if it’s captains decision or of this is something corporate has decided to open up for…… Back to the good things🥳🥰😍🙃 Crew is very kind and we have a great table for dinner. The crew is excellent and definitely deliver excellent service. Speed of our dining is great for our preference and everything is very well done. Keep up the good work👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Crew in Al Bacio is very visible and friendly. Nothing wrong here👌🏻(except for this afternoon🙈) Live music is good. House band and the orchestra is on the ball. Entertainment in the theatre has been good🙃 CD Angela and activity manager Dave is visible now & then. Activity on offer is wide and of different things to do during day & evenings. We are not the “number” one users of activities. We like trivia sessions, but we haven’t attended them yet😅 Senior officers have been “screamed” out on two occasions for mingling in grand foyer around 20.00. So no pointy fingers or anything to address as of this point of our cruise😎 (The daily canapés is a “dead” project… when it comes to chefs creativity😂😂😂)

Out & about😎 We have been to Curaçao 🇨🇼 before. We have been on a guided walk in the city centre, on a snorkel 🤿 tour etc. So this time we had no big plans. We decided for a walk and a beach stop at Mambo Beach 🏖️ YES, the very crowded beach area where all cruise guests from SY & EQ was🙈 The walk from the pier to Mambo is a very nice way to explore Willemstad and deutsch houses. Lots of colour, details and character. It’s a good walkway/sidewalk all the way. So it’s safe from cars and traffic. Mambo Beach is a shopping mall & beach complex. It’s 3.50$ pr person in fee for entering. Beach lounges are additional fees. It was a full house+ lots of tours stoping here and everyone else😅 so no beds or chairs available. El cheapo Norwaylady rolled out the towel on the beach😂😂😂 it was so loaded of people😜😎 Mr needed to cool off a bit🏖️ After 2 hours on Mambo beach 🏖️ we decided it was time to walk back to towards the city centre and our ship 🚢 We passed a grocery store on our way to the beach 🏖️ Mr had a great speed from the beach to the grocery store🤣🤣🤣 He was “smelling” a local serveza 🍺 Local beer 🍺 was collected from the fridge and we found a ice cream and some Limonade for me🧃 Then we continued our journey back to the ship. We arrived back at 16.30. Mr called for a Al Bacio stop☕️ Some coffee, club soda and a little bite for him😋 ( it’s strange… I had to reverse👀 they do have mini sandwiches 🥪 in the selection of daily cake👀👀) I think we arrived just during crew turnover. It was a bit of for service and just a bit of for the staff. We waited for a while before someone came and then the order came halfway to us…. Someone else was delivering it. Coffee, club soda (no glasses) and the order for Mr bites don’t🙈🤭 Well well…. He will not starve to death ☠️ 🤭🤣😋 Hopefully dinner later will make up for it😋

it must be a old form….. I was very surprised 😳 But you know…. I look like a pirate 🏴‍☠️😂😂😂 extra safety precautions😂😂😂

Mr was all dead ☠️🤣😴😴 So no early start today😜 No shore excursion booked. I dragged Mr out of bed just before 9… King of the evening, king of the day😎 It was OV for breakfast today☺️🫡 Mr was a happy camper😁 had omelette and OJ on the terrace. I was on the boarders of just give up🤪😝 it was not crowded, lots of tours had walked off the ship already. But I hate the idea of fetching my own food for breakfast, walking around, walking back to get coffee or something…. 😵‍💫 I found my yoghurt and some banana 🍌 to taste it up and my cat pellets🤗 mission accomplished🫡 Angelo had stopped by to make up the room while we had breakfast. B2B letter was on the bed: it’s the first time I have received a health letter ✉️ to fill out for turnaround day. I always do it by the app the evening before turnaround day or early morning of the turnaround day🤓 for our b2b and it has worked out great.

So i promised some pictures from our snorkelling 🤿 trip 🏖️🐡🐠🐟🪼 I have just uploaded some photos to my phone. Looking promising for a little reel for IG😂😎

This is a great sailing🙌🏻🥰 Cheers to a great start of your journey🥂 Have a great time! looking forward for more pictures and activities from you guys😎⚓️

Day 6 🇨🇼 Curaçao

It was more people for dinner tonight than earlier days…. We suddenly had a couple next to our table🤗 they seemed nice 👍🏻 from California😎 On the next table, it’s a 4 table seated by 2 people. They have made it clear and LOUD that this IS sailing number 19 on X! So we demand a full service and we will make sure we get what we want attitude😛😅🤭🫣🫡 We are keeping a little lower approach🤭😆🙃 haven’t said a word about the status here… They are probably nice people, but we are like air when we arrived🤣 So I think we will continue to keep this arrangement😝 Back to dinner! 🍽️ Today’s menu: We had the salad, gumbo, shrimp cocktail, gnocchi and flank steak. The starters were delicious and tasty. Main course was hit or miss tonight. The flank steak was delicious and tasty. The gnocchi on the other side was tasteless. It’s Quattro formaggi…. Aka 4-cheeses sauce. Yes, that would make it a little bit tasty? No, this sauce was made with a Norwegia cheese😂😂😂 aka no taste, just white sauce. Well well…. I probably wouldn’t starve myself to death before breakfast🤣 There’s always something good for dessert🙃😋 Menu Today was the 🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍🍍 Bonanza That meant limited options for me😝 I took the apple pie and Mr had the passion fruit curd. (And the dreaded sambuca🤪 in a glass) Safe to say…. Someone was going to bed after dinner😜😴

Tonight’s show is the vocal cast, Intimate broadway cabaret. Let’s hear what they will sing 🎵 for us tonight🎵 Well, what a night (get the lyrics😜) Vocal cast are very talented, nothing wrong in them🎵😌 Broadway musical and live band? What can go wrong??? Nothing! We went for dinner as usual 20.30.

Since we arrived in port, by our gangway. We took a Clark Kent onboard😜 Showered off some saltwater and changed into dry clothes. Today’s canapés had arrived Mr & I wanted to go for a little walk. No plans of shopping or anything specific (you know that’s not true🤣🤣🤣😜) Someone wanted a local 🍺🍺🍺🍺 So off we went for a stroll. We took the city centre grand tour🙃 Mr found what he was looking for👀🍺 Do you think they used old cruise carpets? 😜 At 17.30 we decided it was time to go back onboard for some coffee and start the evening routine🙌🏻

We went to the sail-in😎🚢🥂 I think the majority was occupied by getting ready for arrival and eating🤭 Good for us😂❤️🤭 Not crowded at all😎 Service of mimosas, champagne and blue drinks💙🩵💚 After docking we went to get ready for our snorkelling trip. I booked this trip using OBC. We left 10.30. We were picked up in port by catamaran. 2 stops today. A reef 🪸 and a ship wreck. Temperature was great today, not to warm and no wind😎😎😎🤿🪸❤️ First stop was the reef. It took around 35.minutes to sail there. Visibility was great but it wasn’t the best experience of my life🐡🐠🐟🪼 Next stop was the ship wreck. It’s perfect for diving and snorkelling🤿 After the snorkelling, free bar was opening onboard. You know those deadly rum punches 🍹🍹🍹 And then it was time to return to port. We arrived in port 15.00. It will upload my GoPro later for pictures.

Bon Voyage ⚓️🥂🚢 We have several sailings on EQ🙃 we are happy for her❤️ Im ready to waive you welcome in Oslo🥰🚢⚓️

We love Aruba 🇦🇼 every time ❤️🪸🤿

Aruba delivered perfect temperatures for my taste😎🤿🪸 We are just back from snorkelling 🤿 and a stroll in town😎 They played a mix of new and old. Potpourri of Bethowen, Elton John, 60/70 classic hits. Unfortunately the cello was very covered up in the orchestra and the piano 🎹. So not bad, it was good. But it was just lacking some “polish” to perfect it.