Jamman54

The first thing that struck us was that there is hardly any flat land. Everything is built into the sides of the hills…… That hill has a lighthouse on top of it….. We are now leaving the harbor and heading down the coast towards the Pitons….. To be continued…..

There was a huge line for our excursion so we joined the back of it. Soon we were being led to another pier to board the catamaran……. We were wondering how they were going to fit all these people on a catamaran, but when we got to the pier we saw that there were two catamarans….. We got seats at the very back of the catamaran facing aft. They were perfect! We were the first catamaran to cast off, and away we go….. We pass the Venezia as we sail through the harbor….. To be continued……

Since we’ve never been here before, we elected to go on a Carnival Shore Excursion. This is the one we selected: Catamaran Cruise to the Pitons Starting at: $64.99 / Adult (ages 13 and over) $44.99 / Child (ages 12 and under) Hop on board for a fun cruise along St. Lucia’s coastline to experience the magnificent Pitons. On this excursion you will: Sit back and enjoy the catamaran ride as you leave the Castries harbor and cruise along the west coast, passing the picturesque peninsulas of Vigie and La Toc. Take in the lush vegetation of the coastline and the small villages of Anse la Raye and Canaries. Continue on to Soufriere Bay where you’ll see the Petit and Gros Pitons rising majestically 2,600 feet out of the sea. Enjoy great photo opportunities, capturing this wonder of nature as the catamaran circles the bay. Continue your cruise along the coast to the scenic bay of Anse Cochon where an assortment of dry snacks will be served along with fresh local juices, before taking a relaxing swim in the lovely waters of the Caribbean Sea. Cruise to the idyllic Marigot Bay, one of the island’s most beautiful bays, famous for many battles between the English and the French. Enjoy the rhythmic sounds of Caribbean music as you cruise back to the pier. Note: Minimum age is 5 years; maximum weight is 300 lbs. Maximum height is 6 ft 5 in. Refreshments and dry snacks are included. Pregnant women and guests with heart/respiratory conditions are not permitted on this excursion. Fresh water showers available on board. Guests must be able to maneuver steps to enter/exit the catamaran and climb a ladder to enter/exit the water for swimming. Guests should wear swimsuit underneath clothing. Sunscreen, beach towel, and a waterproof camera are recommended. The Captain may alter swimming area depending on sea conditions I went up to the Java Blue Café for my morning coffee. As I sat at a table enjoying my coffee I watched Captain Enzo place his order, and then he came over to me to say hello. We chatted for about five minutes. It’s very apparent that he loves this ship and his crew. He then went and picked up his tray load of coffees. Looks like he’s taking care of the crew on the bridge! I went back to the cabin where Patti and I packed our beach bags for today. From our balcony we can see the stilt walkers lacing up….. We were off the ship at 8:15am. There was a lot of activity on the pier as this was the Venezia’s first visit to St. Lucia….. To be continued…….

Day # 16 - 10/08/23 - Castries, St.Lucia (7am – 4pm). We were up at 6am to get ready for the day. We are already docked in Castries, St. Lucia. It’s going to be another sunny and extremely hot day…… Here are some views of the port area from our balcony….. Here are today’s Fun Times….. To be continued……

We're glad that you are enjoying the review. Thanks for reading! We haven't sailed on any of the ships that you have, so the only comparison I can make is that with the exception of the Summit, are all larger than the Venezia. Since you're a foodie I would select the Celebration or Jubilee over the Venezia, simply because there are way more food venue options on them. Enjoy your planning! 😎

Glad to have you aboard though you'll certainly know your way around!

After dinner, Patti was tired and made her way back to the cabin. I made my way to the Amari Bar, where Zora made me a couple of Pain Reliefs. I then went down to the Limelight Lounge for the (PG) Comedy Show starring Jason Andors….. Comedy Club Host Mathew (with one “T”) gets the show started…. Jason Andros hits the stage….. His performance was not as strong as last time, so I rated him a 7 out of 10. I went back to the Amari Bar and had a few more Pain Reliefs with Zora before calling it a night….. Coming up next: Our first ever visit to beautiful St. Lucia!

We both started with the chicken potstickers….. Patti had a Caesar salad, and I had a Cobb salad….. For our mains Patti had the maple miso salmon, and I had the stuffed pork chop….. For dessert Patti had the apple pie, and I had the strawberry cheesecake with a cup of coffee….. We are posing with our terrific server, Ida Bagus….. This was a fantastic meal and experience which we will look forward to doing it again on our next Journeys cruise! To be continued…..

This is all happening as we are sailing away from Barbados….. All the food prep is being done at Tomodoro….. Here are some Al Fresco Dinner views before we eat….. To be continued…..

We stayed at the Boatyard until 2:30pm, and then took the free shuttle back to the ship. Our bill, which was only for drinks since we didn’t eat there, was $73 including the tip. We would definitely come back here again! After the shuttle dropped us off, I went right back on the ship, while Patti checked out the shops in the terminal for a little bit. Once back on she went back to the cabin where she found today’s towel animal…… I had forgotten to mention that last night Patti received an invitation for the Al Fresco Dinner, which is tonight…… We had been asked at the Diamond Luncheon if we would be interested in going, and of course we said yes. That led me to believe that this was a Diamond only event, but my understanding is that Platinum’s were also invited which was cool. Now I know why they did this for three nights, with two sittings a night. This was set up on the Lido by the mid ship pool, on the side between RoCoco and Tomodoro. All the food prep was done at Tomodoro. After we checked in, we were led to our pre-assigned table for two # 308….. Here is the menu for tonight….. Here we are at the Al Fresco Dinner….. We have our drinks, but they are not free….. To be continued…..

I’m enjoying the water…… The Shipwreck Tour heads out….. I’m working on my second bucket of Carib’s Back out in the water for one last time….. Patti bought a bracelet from one of the local vendors….. To be continued…..

Patti continues to explore the property….. Patti goes up on the pier for some elevated views….. To be continued…..

Must be fleet wide now as there was at least one on the Venezia.

I set up a tab with the bartender, got a bucket of Carib beer, and got a helper to set up our umbrella and chairs…… I head into the water and Patti begins to explore the property….. To be continued…..

There was a lot of “interesting” signage around the bar area….. To be continued……

Here is some more Boatyard information….. After we paid our fee and got our wristbands, we made our way over to Sharkey’s Bar for our free welcome drinks. I had the Carib beer and Patti had the Pirate's Punch….. Here are all of the menus……. To be continued…..

There are a ton of taxis available and ready to go. The taxi rates are very reasonable….. We are the first in our taxi. Of course they will fill it up before we leave, but at least I have some leg room….. You would think that they would load each taxi with people going to the same destination, but no, we wound up with a half hour tour of the town before we finally reached the Boatyard….. Immediately I knew that this was my kind of place…… To be continued…..

We head over to the Lido Marketplace for a little breakfast. Here are my and Patti’s plates….. We head back to the cabin to pack our beach bags and wait for the ship to be cleared to debark. Here’s where the Map Channel says we are….. Here are a few views from our balcony….. We are off the ship at 8:15am. There is a steel drum band playing on the pier…. We have to walk through the terminal to get to the taxi stand….. To be continued…..

Day # 15 - 10/07/23 - Bridgetown, Barbados (8am – 4pm). We were up to hot and sunny day as the Carnival Venezia approached Bridgetown, Barbados….. We are excited about our visit to Barbados today. Patti has never been here, and the last time and only time I was here was 36 years ago…… The people of Bridgetown, Barbados are also happy that we are here since this is the first ship call since April. The season here runs from November through April, and there will only one more ship call here in October. The Venezia will be back here in November. That explains why Carnival’s shore excursions for Barbados weren’t added to the website until just weeks before this cruise sailed, none of which interested us. Even the independent shore excursion sites had limited excursions, and again, nothing intrigued us. Checking out the Port of Call boards it seemed that the Boatyard would be a good place to go, so that’s where we are headed today. The cost of the Boatyard is $35 /pp and includes a welcome drink, two loungers and an umbrella, and the ride back to the ship. All other food and drinks is extra. Sounds good to us! Here are today’s Fun Times……. Patti and I head up to the Lido to have some breakfast and pick up our beach towels, since Edy never replaced the ones we used in Grand Turk. Looks like the morning stretch is taking place…… I grab my coffee from the Java Blue Café, and we hang out with the gang for a little bit. Thanks to CC member Gail for taking this picture….. To be continued…..

We saw Manny Zuniga many many times over a lot of years. Great performer! Going to start posting our day in Barbados Now!

Nope, no hairy chest contest, no male nightgown contest, no pillow fighting, no beer drinking contest, in other words, none of the good stuff!

Here are some more views of Charles Peachock’s show…… Afterwards, we went back to the cabin for the night. Goodnight! Coming up next: It’s the first of four straight port days. A beautiful day in Barbados!

Afterward, we went across the aisle to the Amari Bar where Zora set Patti up with a choclatini, and a raspberry martini for me….. We then went to the Teatro Rosso to see the juggling of Charles Peachock. He is known for being the only juggler in Americas Got Talent history to make it to the quarterfinals before being eliminated. We really enjoyed his show. Here are some views…… To be continued……

Tonight is the Captain’s Gala Dinner, and even though the menu is awesome, it’s not enough to entice us back to the MDR. We decide to head back to Bonsai Sushi, and because it is a slow night here, the Chefs are happy to see us…… Patti had her usual meal of green salad, edamame, and California roll….. I had my sake sangria, miso soup, bang-bang rolls, and chicken & beef skewers……. It was a wonderful meal with great service as usual! To be continued……..

Cruise Director Joey introduces Captain Crescenzo or Captain Enzo as he likes to be called, and he addresses the gathering…… Captain Crescenzo introduces the Senior Staff and Officers…… Captain Enzo makes Joey strut his stuff...... The whole party lasted about forty-five minutes. To be continued……