Live: Amazon River, Caribbean, Many Pix’s, Terry/Ohio

[TLCOhio]

Up at 6:30 am Sunday to prepare for the sunrise and our approach to Boniare. Am starting below my sharing of visuals from Aruba on Valentine's Day. Will also share more on the cold, cold weather back home. It is not just going to be for a few coming days of hyper cold in Ohio, but it will continue for weeks. That sad fact really makes us appreciate this nice sunny, warm weather down here in the Caribbean.

 

From my research on Bonaire, much of the island is about the pink flamingoes, sad-eyed donkeys and elusive sea horses that all share something rare in today's world. They flourish on or around Bonaire. Each lives in sanctuaries set up by island residents who proudly boast of a high level of conservation. Ecotourism is a buzzwords in the travel world, but Bonaire, just 50 miles off the coast of Venezuela, was a world leader in founding this field long before the term was even invented. The isle's greatest claim to fame is also proudly shouted with its license plates . . . "Diver's Paradise." In addition to the diving and snorkeling, there's windsurfing, kayaking, bird watching, kite boarding, fishing, mountain biking and horseback riding.

 

Bonaire set many early standards by protecting sea turtles back in 1961, banning spear-fishing in 1971, making it illegal to remove live coral in 1975 and establishing the first marine park in 1979. The island is outside the traditional hurricane zone and is a desert island with no river runoff into the sea. Like others in the Dutch ABC islands, there is no rainy season and temperatures are consistently pleasant with lows in the 70's and highs in the 80's. Unlike its better-known neighbors, Aruba and Curacao, this isle of 14,000 residents is much smaller in population, very quiet and laid-back. There are no flashy Las Vegas-type casinos as in Aruba or a showy pastel-colored capital city as in Curacao.

 

The U.S. dollar is the island's official currency and we are looking to hit an ATM to refresh our now very small supply of cash. We are schedule to dock in downtown Kralendijk, the capital of Bonaire, where there is shopping, dining and maybe even snorkeling and diving are within walking distance of the dock.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 97,894 views for this posting.

 

 

Our first stop in Aruba was at the site of the "Natural Bridge". The big one collapsed a few years back, but there is still a smaller version. You can see below a sampling for the other drama here as the waves roll in along this barren, but scenic part of the island.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We covered a wide range of the island, including the residential areas, airport, etc. Then we headed to the California Lighthouse shown below. Plus, also here are a couple of views from that location. This includes just a few of the many, many dessert-style cacti growths that cover this dry island.:

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Am now over 11,100 views for this live/blog and appreciate all of those who have dropped by, said hi, made comments, asked questions, etc. Keep it coming!!!

 

Below are more visuals from very interesting Aruba. It is good to be able to get a nice samples for all three of the Dutch ABC islands. Hope these either bring back nice memories or give a preview for those planning visits here in this far southern part of the Caribbean.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 194,454 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

We did a stop at an Aloe processing location on Aruba. Kind of touristy, but interesting to see and learn more. Plus, Penny did some serious shopping there. Our MasterCard will see the draining impact. You can see how parts of these plants are cut and the magic interior liquid drained for processing. Second is picture from their fields where the plants are grown with in the distant background is shown the arrival of the large Carnival Triumph ship coming into this port at mid-day.:

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of pretty flowers on this island! Below is one example from near the lighthouse.:

 

 

 

Here is one of the colorful and interesting shopping buildings we could see from the docking location of our ship. Lots and lots of retail here, but we fortunately avoid that type of activity.:

 

 

 

In returning to our ship from the beach, here was the colorful back of a bus promoting their popular local beer. Fun design, right? Notice the blue license plate at the bottom left side of this bus with its slogan of "One Happy Island"?:

 

[TLCOhio]

Below are my final set of pictures from Aruba. Nice stop here to sample this island, see its sights and avoid too much "retail" shopping experiences.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Aruba's Eagle Beach gets high marks as the top beach on this island. Some even mention it as one of the best in the world. We can understand why. It is about six miles long with amazing sand. Busy, but not crowded. We came back later in the afternoon to enjoy its fun, people, sights, activities, etc. The varied shades of the blue waters is so great. We had a fun part of the afternoon to be here. BUT, it was hot this day with a very intense sun. Did we enjoy? See the picture proof!:

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is an example of real "live" blog action on Sunday morning. Just took this picture below of the Carnival Triumph arriving in Bonaire. It was parked next door to us in Aruba. Now, it is being backed into dock at this port. This ship has 3,143 passengers and crew of 1,100. Lots of people. Glad to be on the much more "personal" and handy Silver Cloud!!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Docking in Bonaire is the Carnival Triumph! Big ship and an interesting way its Captain had to manage the winds and back this craft into its docking location. It was a good early morning "show" to enjoy from the deck of the Panorama Lounge on the Silver Cloud.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is more proof for why the Caribbean is going to be much better during the coming week than what Central Ohio will be experiencing. Wish that we could bring back some of this sunny, warm weather to relieve the Midwest and NE United States.

 

The whole month of March looks very cold, cold based the current long-term forecasts by AccuWeather.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

From Columbus, Ohio, during the next weeks, here is the detailed forecast report from AccuWeather. Just wanted to document for future records/review. Unfortunately, we are due back in Columbus on Monday, Feb. 23.:

 

[Nigella]

Terry, once again, thank you so much for your wonderful blog and your outstanding photographs.

 

It's clear that you're very much a "glass half full" person and your positive attitude and the lovely sunshine you've been enjoying are really cheering me up during a tough February! Not especially cold here,certainly nothing like those Ohio temps, it's just dark and miserable.

[fairbourne]

A belated HappyValentine's from a cold and windy Scotland! :). We are having a snuggly afternoon in front of the fire! Brrrrrrr! Nigella is right, it just never seems to get really light at this time of year.

 

Thanks for the sunny photos of Aruba - loved the name of the beer - our Aruba is a bit of a balashi girl herself!!! And she's very sunny too!

 

Aloe Vera is a great natural product, I use it a lot. I expect my DH's wallet would have been pinged a few times too with the shopping opportunities! What else are husbands for??? LOL! ;):D

[spinnaker2]

Terry, thanks for the tropical heat photos!

It was 48 in sunny and "tropical" south florida this morning.

We have the heat on its so chilly.

Enjoy the rest of your voyage and soak up the warmth.

We are getting another arctic blast on Wednesday, including your region of Ohio.

Eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series of Terry's terrific tale.

[RMS SeaCat]

Lovely pictures Terry, thanks for explaining about the rich food, it's good to know that the portions are not too big, my other half is a very small eater which is why we are not so sure about a cruising holidays as everything seems to be focused on the food from what l have read so far.

The other half is also very camera shy, do the other people on board mind you taking their photos or are these from the photographers who work on the boat, as they all look very professional and everyone seems to be having a great time.

You can probably tell that I am having a hard time persuading here and apologise for asking questions. We were thinking about doing another short cruise to somewhere but Silverseas don't seem to do the party ones.

I had better shut up now and carry on reading and learning from all you experienced sailors.

 

Thank you

[Nigella]

Lovely pictures Terry, thanks for explaining about the rich food, it's good to know that the portions are not too big, my other half is a very small eater which is why we are not so sure about a cruising holidays as everything seems to be focused on the food from what l have read so far.

The other half is also very camera shy, do the other people on board mind you taking their photos or are these from the photographers who work on the boat, as they all look very professional and everyone seems to be having a great time.

You can probably tell that I am having a hard time persuading here and apologise for asking questions. We were thinking about doing another short cruise to somewhere but Silverseas don't seem to do the party ones.

I had better shut up now and carry on reading and learning from all you experienced sailors.

 

Thank you

 

Silversea is a luxury line. This means that they don't have photographers working on the ship.

They don't offer 'party ones' although there may be shorter 4-5 day cruises available from time to time, usually in the Med.

The cruise experience on a luxury line is somewhat different to the experience on the other big ship cruise lines. If you're looking for a party ship, SS isn't it.

Cruising with a luxury line is defintely not 'all about the food'. The food is usually very good to excellent, but it's more about seeing some great places, and meeting other guests, which is very easy to do on the small ships.

It's a great idea to carry on reading lots of different posts here on the SS board.

As you'll know, a cruise with Silversea isn't exactly a budget option and given the costs involved, I think it's a good idea to be as familiar as possible with the product before you book it to be sure it's what you're looking for.

That said, my first ever cruise was on Silversea and although I'd been looking at their brochures since the late 1990s, I really didn't know what to expect. I was hooked immediately :D

[RMS SeaCat]

Thank you Nigella for the good advice, very helpful. I would really love to do a cruise on a luxury liner but the other half is still not sure. We are very private and lead a simple life and don't really mix well socially as we are quite shy in many ways. We always dreamed of a world cruise when we retired but there are so many to choose from and it all becomes complicated when trying to get the right one.

 

Thank you

[Wellseasoned]

Enjoying your posts, Terry, bringing back memories of the Amazon and the ABC's. It's colder here in northern Ohio, but take heart! The temperatures look a lot better if you use Fahrenheit rather than those awful Celsius temps you posted. And right now there is bright sunshine! Keep enjoying and have a safe trip home.

[lincslady]

Thank you Nigella for the good advice, very helpful. I would really love to do a cruise on a luxury liner but the other half is still not sure. We are very private and lead a simple life and don't really mix well socially as we are quite shy in many ways. We always dreamed of a world cruise when we retired but there are so many to choose from and it all becomes complicated when trying to get the right one.

 

Thank you

 

Please do not be put off by thinking you might have to be terribly 'social' on the right sort of ship - funnily enough, I think it is easier when you are on a small 'luxury' ship - e.g.Silversea or Seabourn, preferably with under 500 on board. You can socialise as much or as little as you wish, and have dinner at a table for 2 each night if you prefer (at whatever time you feel like going in). There will be no professional photographers on board; it is all pretty low key. I would not recommend a full world cruise for starters, however - a lot of time and money if you didn't like it! There is no pressure to join in anything if you prefer not to - we only rarely go to shows after dinner, or join in trivia, though I enjoy this personally and it is a way of getting to know people without trying too hard.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, once again, thank you so much for your wonderful blog and your outstanding photographs. It's clear that you're very much a "glass half full" person and your positive attitude and the lovely sunshine you've been enjoying are really cheering me up during a tough February! Not especially cold here,certainly nothing like those Ohio temps, it's just dark and miserable.

 

Appreciate these various and helpful postings, comments, sharing of Silversea info, etc. Will add some more follow-ups from me later.

 

Yesterday morning, we visited mangrove forest of Lac Bay on Bonaire. It is one of the best preserved mangrove forests in the Caribbean with three different species of mangrove trees in crystal clear waters. Our boat with eight people allowed us to see why they call this area the nursery for so much sea life. In between the mangroves and the barrier reef we found large areas covered with sea grass that provides an important environment and helps in filtering the water in Lac Bay to keep it clear. About 60% of this island territory is a national park or protected area. The mangrove forest of Lac Bay are a part of the Bonaire National Marine Park.

 

Did we mention that it was hot and sunny down here? High's in mid 80'sF with the humidity also in the 80's yesterday on Bonaire. More exciting and fun Bonaire visual "action" is to be coming shortly. You will love the colorful local flavor from this fun island!!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Here are some visual samples from being in Bonaire National Marine Park yesterday. From water level and with our expert guide, it was very educational to learn more about these interactions with natural life. At the end, you can see a nest with two baby green heron chicks. Cute? In the middle of this series, you can see when we encountered a couple doing their own paddling around in this nature area with their guide.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Please do not be put off by thinking you might have to be terribly 'social' on the right sort of ship - funnily enough, I think it is easier when you are on a small 'luxury' ship - e.g.Silversea or Seabourn, preferably with under 500 on board. You can socialise as much or as little as you wish, and have dinner at a table for 2 each night if you prefer (at whatever time you feel like going in). There will be no professional photographers on board; it is all pretty low key. I would not recommend a full world cruise for starters, however - a lot of time and money if you didn't like it! There is no pressure to join in anything if you prefer not to - we only rarely go to shows after dinner, or join in trivia, though I enjoy this personally and it is a way of getting to know people without trying too hard.

 

spinnaker2: Terry' date=' thanks for the tropical heat photos! It was 48 in sunny and "tropical" south florida this morning. We have the heat on its so chilly. Enjoy the rest of your voyage and soak up the warmth. [b']We are getting another arctic blast on Wednesday[/b], including your region of Ohio. Eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series of Terry's terrific tale.

 

Appreciate these varying comments and added information. When the cold spell gets down in Florida, that is a good signal for why we were super smart in picking the Caribbean and Amazon River. BUT, running out of money and time and will have to be back in Columbus on Feb. 23. Have programs and meetings to do on Tuesday and Wednesday.

 

As the UK lady summarize, there is lots of flexibility on this ship and others with Silversea to do as much or as little to fit your personal desires and interests. These are not "party ships", but there is an interesting mix of people on-board. Lots of opportunities to connect with others . . . OR . . . have your total privacy.

 

Below starts more of the excitement with the music, costumes, partying from the Carnival parade in Bonaire. So glad that we got this sampler for how the season of fun starts on this island. Many other locations in the Dutch ABC's and other islands had similar activities happening at this time of the year.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 97,986 views for this posting.

 

 

Here is the first of my series from the Carnival parade on Sunday afternoon in Bonaire. It was suppose to start at 2 pm. BUT, as our destination speaker Cory Sandler noted, he had the "cover" by saying it would be a "Caribbean Time"!!! starting schedule. That actually meant a timing that started closer to around 3:30-4 pm. Both Cory and I had to move forward up that routing in order to get some pictures as things in the parade/festival moved very, very slow. We had to be back at the ship before the 5:30 pm boarding deadline. BUT, it was such total fun to be here to sample these festivities. We really got a feel for some of the "real people" who live here and how they like to enjoy, celebrate, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nigella]

Please do not be put off by thinking you might have to be terribly 'social' on the right sort of ship - funnily enough, I think it is easier when you are on a small 'luxury' ship - e.g.Silversea or Seabourn, preferably with under 500 on board. You can socialise as much or as little as you wish, and have dinner at a table for 2 each night if you prefer (at whatever time you feel like going in). There will be no professional photographers on board; it is all pretty low key. I would not recommend a full world cruise for starters, however - a lot of time and money if you didn't like it! There is no pressure to join in anything if you prefer not to - we only rarely go to shows after dinner, or join in trivia, though I enjoy this personally and it is a way of getting to know people without trying too hard.

 

Seacat - I completely agree with lincslady.

I'm so sorry if I gave the impression that there's any pressure to socialise on Silversea and similar cruise lines. There isn't at all. I thought I'd read that you were looking for a short party cruise and I was trying to get across that the luxury lines, eg. Silversea, Seabourn, Regent, Crystal aren't usually known for being party cruises.

If you want to meet other guests, it's so easy because on Silversea the ships are small. But you don't have to join in anything at all if you don't want to.

[Nigella]

Terry, thanks for the pics of carnival in Bonaire. It's one of my favourite of the Caribbean islands. Amazing costumes and colour.

[TLCOhio]

Terry, thanks for the pics of carnival in Bonaire. It's one of my favourite of the Caribbean islands. Amazing costumes and colour.

 

Glad you are enjoying the Bonaire visuals. Have more below. Appreciate the comments, questions, etc. Keep it coming!!!

 

Now at over 12,000 views for this live/blog. Glad that folks are enjoying our sharing of the sun and low-calorie food visuals.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 171,907 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

 

Here are some added samples for the Bonaire Carnival parade excitement yesterday. Lots of music, fun costumes, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is my wife getting her picture captured with the "KING" of this segment of their parade group. Are people having fun? The facial expressions summarize the enjoyment perfectly!:

 

 

 

Finally, here is what the Bonaire license plates uses graphics to reflect some of their attractions in Bonaire.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Just checked at mid-day our newspaper in Columbus, Ohio. From the Dispatch, they have this headline: "Think the morning’s cold is bad? Wait until the afternoon snow".

 

Here are some of the details from their reporting: "Frigid temperatures and an approaching storm have prompted the National Weather Service to issue advisories and warnings for central Ohio through Tuesday morning. Franklin, Licking and Madison counties are among a band of counties under a winter weather advisory, while Fairfield, Pickaway and counties to the south face a winter storm warning. Light snow is expected to start spreading across central Ohio from the south later this morning, becoming steady in the afternoon and tapering off in the evening. Up to 3 inches are predicted for the Columbus area, while accumulations of 3-to-5 inches are expected where the winter storm warning is in effect south of the city. While highways are generally clear this morning — when many employers and schools have the day off for Presidents Day — the afternoon commute may be messy. Drivers should be prepared for snow-covered roads and limited visibilities."

 

It's clear and very sunny now as we sail NE up from Bonaire towards our destination in Roseau, Dominica. Barely a cloud in the sky. Everything is on schedule for our arrival early tomorrow morning. This is our last relaxing sea-day on the Silver Cloud. We will finish strong with three port days and then arrival Friday, Feb. 20 in San Juan.

 

Did this morning a navigation bridge tour. Sorry, no pictures were allowed. Would have liked to have share more, but cannot do this time as things are tightened for security reasons. The Captain's wife was there and asked me to get a picture with her and their darling daughter in this area. BUT, no could do. Didn't want to get her husband in trouble and she totally understood why I was be a "good boy" for following the rules.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Dozens of nice visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. We are now at 194,509 views for this live/blog re-cap, including much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[Emperor Norton]

Previously for the multi-course wine serving dinner here, the total tab was $200 a person. Kind of high!! Now, it is $40 per person. Previously, they had five different rotating menus. Now is it just one set of menu options for each cruising. For once, as a special treat, this option and cost still works fine for our needs, especially so many other wonderful dining options on this ship.

 

Does the $40 version include paired wines that aren't available by the glass as 'free' pours? It looks like the $200 menu may have also used more expensive ingredients.

[TLCOhio]

Does the $40 version include paired wines that aren't available by the glass as 'free' pours? It looks like the $200 menu may have also used more expensive ingredients.

 

Excellent and very valid points/questions above the current $40 Le Champagne dinner not being exactly "equal" to the earlier $200 version. As you would expect some "adjustments" had to be made. The wine pours for us on this back-to-back trip Le Champagne testing were very good, but they were not super high-end. You could, of course, order some more costly wines, as per your choice and pay additional. What they gave us was fine for our purposes/needs. Hard for me to know and judge exactly on the ingredients, what was "fine-tuned" there, etc. Out of the 26 total days on the Silver Cloud, doing this dining once was fine, added some variety, etc. BUT, very "rich" in calories, food content, etc. Could not eat at this level very often.

 

CURRENT SHIP POSITION?: Below is a screen graphic for our current position in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. On a 91.1 degree heading. Going at a current speed of 12.2 knots. It is almost a perfect dark blue color for the sea, just a few distant clouds showing. Current temperature outside is 78.64F or 25.9C. Humidity is 68%. Hard to make any complaints.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

At 2:45 pm EST, here is the position of the Silver Cloud in the Caribbean.:

 

[TLCOhio]

Here are some of visuals from last night, plus around the ship today during this final cruise sea-day during our 26-day Amazon-Caribbean adventure.

 

Next is our visit to Dominica. It is pronounced Do-min-EE-kah. From the Cruise Critic website, they say this island promises to be unlike any other stop for our itinerary. They say to "prepare to slow down, take in the scenery, breathe fresh air, sample fruit right off the trees and experience nature in a way unique to few places on earth."

 

This "Nature Island" measures 29 miles long by 16 miles wide and encompasses about 290 square miles of untamed rain forest; dense, lush vegetation; waterfalls; freshwater pools and bubbling hot springs, heated by the active underwater volcanoes surrounding the island. Much of the interior can only be reached on foot.

 

Producers selected Dominica as a backdrop for two sequels in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series. As you drive the coastline on roads hacked out of the mountainside, jagged edges plunge into the ocean, while mango trees and ginger root cascade down into the sea.

 

The island has impressive national parks and Dominica ranks as one of the top sites for scuba-diving in the Caribbean. Its beaches are mostly rocky. The island features no chain hotels or big-box mega-stores, though there are a Pizza Hut and KFC in Roseau, the capital city. This will be a big change for us compared to what we experience in the Dutch ABC islands.

 

Dominica was originally populated by the Carib tribe of Indians. The island gets its name from Christopher Columbus, who first spotted the land in 1493 on a Sunday. (Domenica means "Sunday" in Italian.) In the 1800's, the French and British fought for control of the island. If you glance at a map of Dominica, it's clear by the town names that the French populated the South (Roseau, Soufriere), while the British occupied the North (Portsmouth).

 

Eventually, the British conquered the French portion of the island and maintained control until 1978, when Dominica gained independence. Dominica has survived with a predominantly agricultural-based economy that includes bananas. Tourism also remains strong, with Dominica attracting a stream of naturalists who flock to the island to see 172 types of birds, 12 major waterfalls and peaks that rise to 5,000 feet.

 

Whale-watchers also come in hordes to explore the waters that plunge to nearly 6,000 feet right off the coastline, providing a base for seven types of whales that can be seen nearly year-round, including a resident population of sperm whales. Weather on the island averages 77 degrees in winter, 82 in summer, although it's cooler in the mountains, humid in the rain forest and warmer on the coast. The driest months are January through April, but Cruise Critic warns to not be surprised if you experience a brief downpour every day.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

From last night's program in the Venetian Lounge with two of the singers from the Voices of Silversea group. Second is our Cruise Director Allen King. I showed him this picture and he confirmed that it is a an accurate view . . . his mouth is always open. Allen's wife, Marty, has sent me more details about their courtship and how it almost never happened. BUT, for the right price, those "secrets" can be revealed or kept confidential.:

 

 

 

 

 

From the Terrace Cafe today, here are a few of my visual samplings of the many offerings provided there. Love dining out on the open, back balcony in this area. It's great getting the open sea air, seeing the blue waters, etc. For food, this only a fraction for what is offered. You can see salads, pizza, carved meat, sushi, etc.:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TLCOhio]

Here is a little more to wrap up some of the lunch offerings, afternoon program presentation, etc.

 

The pool deck was busy with lots of folks reading and catching the rays. For lunch in this area, they had the regular offerings, plus a special small buffet sampling and items prepared by the Italian chef.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

Nice, helpful staff in the Terrace Cafe and at the other dining locations on this ship. Here is an example for the staff's friendly greetings with part of the indoor and outdoor seating areas in the background.:

 

 

 

And desserts? Yes, they have those offerings, plus four types of fresh-made ice cream, too. Here are a few of today's sweet offerings.:

 

 

 

 

 

The destination lecturer, Cory Sandler, did two different presentations today on upcoming port stops. Here, he is starting the background program on St. Barts with its French and Swedish history, the rich and famous being there now, etc.:

 

[TLCOhio]

From our sea-day, the sunset views worked well. Here are three different styles with my photo options today. Which of these three do you like best and why? How do you rank and reaction to these visuals? Unfortunately, folks back in Central Ohio are NOT today thinking and/or able to see much for their sunset options/potentials.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

These three visuals were shot from the Panorama Lounge early evening as the sun was setting. A lady was on the outside deck taking her pictures of the sun set. Which of these three by me do you rank highest?:

 

 

 

 

 

[upwarduk]

The 3rd one Terry, as it is completely natural. It's not often nowadays that you can get a shot without any 'interruption.'

 

BTW, you were so lucky to see Carnival in Bonaire, as today is actually Shrove Tuesday ( Carnival day) However, if I remember correctly, it can be celebrated in the ABC islands, any weekend from mid January. We were in Aruba, Jan 19th 2002, on a cruise ship visit. My son and family came to meet us in Oranjestad and didn't take us to their home in St Nicholas, due to traffic problems, as that village were celebrating Carnival.

Edited February 17, 2015 by upwarduk