Dave’s Live From Oosterdam 21-day Southern Caribbean, Jan. 29 – Feb. 19, 2016

[Krazy Kruizers]

We did the Green Monkey excursion several years ago. Loved it.

Great pictures of the Pitons.

[Mtn2Sea]

No, I have no idea. Let's face it, Rick, until a couple of weeks ago I reported to work at 6 a.m. -- I'm not aware of much of anything past 8:30 or 9. :D

 

I've often wondered why your first posts of the day are so early - now I understand! Enjoy your day in Barbados.

[retiredkid]

Fabulous update. Loved the pics, especially the one with the sailing ship. Enjoy your day in Barbados

[sandyeiz]

Hi Dave,

Loving your blog! We will be like ships(!) that pass in the night when you disembark and we board on Friday. When you have a moment, I have a quick question. In Barbados today, were only ship's passengers allowed in the port building? I ask because we are meeting residents there and wondered what would be a good meeting spot. Is there a gate through which passengers must be checked to enter or leave? A parking area outside the building? Any guidance you might be able to provide will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy the rest of your trip and thanks again for allowing us to share it with you. Sandy

[Wendy-Europe]

Hi

 

I enjoy your blog so much!

 

One question: If you have the beverage package - does that cover martini samples (for example) or "Sip and Savour"?

 

I know - it covers beverages under 8 $ - but it is not very clear if these special occasions are included.

 

Thanks for your answer, if possible....

 

Wendy

[RetiredMustang]

Saturday, February 13, Barbados (Cont.)

 

 

We have been in Barbados many times, have swum with the turtles three times, snorkeled, visited Harrison’s Cave, taken island drives, etc. But we had never taken the Green Monkey Eco Tour, primarily because it always left at 1 p.m.

 

Last time we were here, we talked to someone who had just returned from the trip, and he said it was timed for when they feed the monkeys, which made it more likely you would see some. So, today we took the HAL excursion.

 

Because it did not leave until 1, we went ashore about 11 or so, thinking to get eats at the Coconuts Bar and Grill, the joint just outside the cruise terminal. We were docked at the extreme far end of the outside pier, as far from the terminal as you could get. We shared the port with the Mein Schiff 3, the P&O Britannia, the four-mast sailing ship Wind Star, a five-mast sailing ship (probably the one we saw at the Pitons) and the AIDAmar. In short, there were a lot of people in port today, and Coconuts was packed!

 

We found a picnic table way around the corner that was occupied by a crew member skyping. We asked if he minded if we joined him and I don’t think he even looked up, but may have mumbled something because DW sat down. I left her and made my way next to an Oosterdam Ocean bar bartender and our dining room steward, who were both at the bar, also skyping or at least emailing, and ordered a fish cutter, fries, a Banks and a white wine.

 

I took the food and drinks back to DW, and she had the wine while I dug into the cutter (the famous Barbados fried flying fish sandwich) and Banks. She did not take any of the sandwich, but did tuck into the fries. Here is a shot of our order:

 

 

 

 

We then wandered the shops, favoring those with a/c, until it was time to gather for our tour. Barbados cruise terminal has it all well organized, with numbered bus chutes, etc. We easily found our tour and boarded the bus. The bus left the cruise terminal area, and drove through Bridgetown out to outer roads. We drove a seeming meander through pretty countryside and small villages while our guide gave us a running narrative of the history, geography, geology, economics and politics of the island. After about an hour, we stopped at an east coast village called Bathsheba, so named because of the surf on the rocks and beaches. We stopped for about 10 minutes for a restroom and photo break. It was quite a pretty area, and I could understand when our guide told us it was a popular destination for surfers. Here are some shots of the beach, including the eroded rocks called mushroom rocks:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Saturday, February 13, Barbados (Cont.)

 

 

We then went a couple of miles more down the roads to the animal sanctuary, located in St. Peter Parish, near the north end of the island.

 

Our guide led us quickly toward the feeding area, where we saw a lot of the green monkeys, tortoises, and small deer enjoying the vegetables. The monkeys would sit on the backs of the tortoises to fetch to prime morsels, and then go away to eat them. Here are some shots:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The monkeys of course could move quickly when the food was put out, but the tortoises were not so fast. There were already some at the feeding station when we arrived, but others were making all the speed they could to get there – we had to avoid the stampede:

 

 

 

 

We were told the monkeys are not caged or enclosed, and range freely. The monkeys are territorial, and this is apparently the local troop, and who have learned that at 2 p.m., vegetables appear.

 

The grounds also included other animals, such as snakes, lizards, caimans and a good many parrots, including one glorious specimen:

 

 

 

 

We got back on the bus at about 3:30, and I thought we would take a more direct return to the ship. I had wondered why we had not taken the major highways on a direct route to the park instead of the windy roads and back lanes, and then I looked at the map of the island the tour guide had provided and said, “oh.” We had been on the major highways, and there is no such thing as a direct route anywhere on Barbados. We came back by the west island highways, including a drive through Holetown and past the millionaires’ places.

 

We arrived at the cruise terminal at 4:15, and got one of the many waiting shuttles for Oosterdam and made it aboard a few minutes before all aboard of 4:30. That’s another reason we don’t take afternoon tours usually, and if we do, we take the HAL ones – if there had been a traffic accident and tie-up in Holetown, the ship would have waited for the HAL tour, but probably would not have for a private tour.

 

We had just enough time to clean up a bit and get a quick drink before dinner. I will post the dinner and dessert menu tomorrow morning.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Hi Dave,

Loving your blog! We will be like ships(!) that pass in the night when you disembark and we board on Friday. When you have a moment, I have a quick question. In Barbados today, were only ship's passengers allowed in the port building? I ask because we are meeting residents there and wondered what would be a good meeting spot. Is there a gate through which passengers must be checked to enter or leave? A parking area outside the building? Any guidance you might be able to provide will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy the rest of your trip and thanks again for allowing us to share it with you. Sandy

 

 

I am of course not an expert at all, and you should probably check the cruise port's web site to see what it says.

 

But, the whole cruise port area is enclosed with a security fence and traffic checkpoints. Taxis and buses are allowed into the complex, but I don't know if non-cruise passengers would be. There is a beachside park just outside the complex which is not a long walk, but I don't know parking situations. You walk through the terminal, out the back side, past Coconuts and a few shops and the taxi area to the security checkpoint, about 100 yards past the terminal exit. The park is just outside. Down the road another quartermile or so is an arts and crafts shopping village called, IIRC, Pelican Point, that might also be a convenient place to meet.

 

 

Hope this helps,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Hi

 

I enjoy your blog so much!

 

One question: If you have the beverage package - does that cover martini samples (for example) or "Sip and Savour"?

 

I know - it covers beverages under 8 $ - but it is not very clear if these special occasions are included.

 

Thanks for your answer, if possible....

 

Wendy

 

 

Wendy,

 

I don't know, but I will ask and see if I can find out. I'll get back to you.

 

Dave

[sandyeiz]

Dave- thank you so much for the information. That absolutely does help. We appreciate it very much. Sandy

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update.

[RetiredMustang]

Saturday, February 13, Barbados (Cont.)

 

 

Here is the dinner and dessert menu:

 

 

Starters – Soups – Salads

 

* Fruit Salad with Yogurt and Honey – citrus dressing

* Shrimp and Crab Louis – signature tangy chili dressing

* Beef and Chicken Satay – spicy peanut sauce, cucumber salad

* Curried Butternut Squash Soup – butternut squash, Granny Smith apple, curry powder, cinnamon, allspice

* Country-Style Lentil Soup – vegetables, bacon, smoked pork sausage

* Chilled Coconut Nutmeg Soup – coconut, yogurt, milk, vanilla, nutmeg

* Haricots Verts Salad with Fig and Truffle – heart of romaine, walnut vinaigrette

 

 

Holland America Line Signatures

 

* French Onion Soup “Les Halles” – Gruyere cheese crouton

* Classic Caesar Salad – Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies

 

 

Mains

 

* Bucatini with Duck – zucchini, mushrooms, cream, duck glace, tomatoes, parsley

* Mixed Greens with Avocado – red onion, orange segments, tangy ginger dressing, grilled garlic shrimp

* Pan Seared Swai with Chipotle-Aioli – five-spice rice, broccoli

* Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tri-Tip with Grilled Portabella – cheddar cheese grits, sautéed greens

* Crackling Pork Belly – braised red cabbage, boiled potatoes, rasin-apple chutney

* Pomengranate-Glazed Cornish Game Hen – wild rice stuffing, steamed broccoli, eggplant-tomato braise

* Whole-wheat Mushroom Crepes – brown rice pilaf, crème fraiche

 

 

Holland America Line Signatures

 

* Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Pesto – basmati rice, Swiss chard, garlic cherry tomatoes

* Broiled New York Strip Loin – cauliflower gratin, green peppercorn sauce

* Oven-Roasted Chicken – quinoa loaf, herb roasted vegetables, jus

 

 

Desserts

 

* Warm Chocolate Cake with Blueberry Cream– bittersweet chocolate cake, blueberries, bourbon-flavored whipped cream

* Frangipane Plum Tart – coconut ice cream, almond cookie

* Kiwi and Passion Fruit Pavlova – vanilla whipped cream, passion fruit sauce

* Crème Brulee – vanilla-scented custard, caramelized sugar

* Rhubarb Crisp – French vanilla ice cream

* Cheese and Fruit – English Stilton, Humbold Fog, Beecher’s Marco Polo, Old Amsterdam

* Sliced Fruit Plate – selection of fresh fruit

* Chocolate Mousse Torte no sugar added – chocolate sponge cake, sugar-free chocolate mousse

* Cherries Jubilee Sundae – French vanilla ice cream, Cognac-Bing cherries, whipped cream, chopped nuts

* Ice Cream – Vanilla, Strawberry, Passion Fruit Sorbet, Blueberry Frozen Yogurt, Vanilla no sugar added, Neapolitan no sugar added

 

 

After Dinner Drinks

 

* Mocha Mint Cordial in souvenir glass – Crème de Menthe, Kahlua and Crème de Cacao White: $6.95

* Espresso: $1.25

* Cappucino: $1.75

- ask your serve for additional drink selections

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Sunday, February 14, Martinique

 

 

The last time we were in Fort-de-France, Martinique on Sunday, we took the walk about town tour, which was enjoyable, but when we looked for coffee and pastries afterwards, we discovered the whole town closed except for a few stalls in the market. So, this time we signed up for a tour of St. Pierre, destroyed in the early 1900s, and a rum factory.

 

 

Here are the first four pages of today’s On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RetiredMustang]

Sunday, February 14, Martinique (Cont.)

 

 

Here are the other two pages of the On Location:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the Martinique guide pages:

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally, a flyer that was in our mailbox a day or so ago for Valentine specials:

 

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have also been to Martinique many times and it seems it was always on a Sunday with everything closed.

Great pictures.

Enjoy your Valentine's day.

[teamflames]

Save, I will have the shrimp and crab to start followed by the crackling pork belly and the plum tart for dessert [emoji13]

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

[teamflames]

Sorry Dave not save, my apologies damn auto spell making me look like a goose (was that an option?)

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

[teamflames]

Btw thanks for posting the menu I read it to my wife every night to see what she would have, makes us salivate and anticipate our cruise even more

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums mobile app

[57redbird]

Hope you have a better tour guide than we did & also, the 'gift shop' at the Rum Factory was a zoo! The area that was destroyed and seeing the museum was the best part of our tour.

[RetiredMustang]

Sunday, February 14, Martinique (Cont.)

 

 

We pulled into Fort-de-France in early morning. The sun was shining on the city and surrounding hills:

 

 

 

 

But that didn’t last long. Rain showers passed by now and then, and when we started to debark for our shore excursion, it poured for a few minutes. But the shower passed, and we were able to assemble and board the bus and stay dry.

 

That was the theme for the tour – passing showers, downpours and sunny spells. Luckily, we seemed to have just boarded the bus when the rains came, and they stopped when we were to get out.

 

We drove first to the Balata church for a quick stop. The church is a replica of the Sacre Coeur in Paris, although to a smaller scale. It commemorates the French war dead of World War I.

 

 

 

 

We then drove a good distance on windy mountain roads to the outskirts of the town of St. Pierre, where we stopped at the Depaz rum distillery. It, like the town of St. Pierre, was destroyed in the eruption of Mt. Pelee in 1902, and all the family except one son who was studying in France were killed. He returned and rebuilt the refinery, sugar cane fields and the landscape around the main area. The site has a fine view of the Caribbean, and the son built a mansion to live in. Here are some photos of the front of the distillery, the view and the mansion:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were toured about the grounds and through the distillery, which was idle because it was Sunday. We then went into the shop and were offered samples of the rum.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Sunday, February 14, Martinique (Cont.)

 

 

After the rum distillery stop, we drove a short way to the town of St. Pierre, where we toured the small museum dedicated to the eruption of 1902. The town was actually destroyed by a pyroclastic flow and not lava. Famously, one person survived, Louis Cyparis – he had been arrested for drunkenness the night before and was in the underground dungeon when the flow hit the town. Others may have survived, but he became famous

As the sole survivor and toured with Barnum and Bailey Circus.

 

No photos were allowed in the museum, which included a large bell partially melted by the heat. But, our guide walked us to the remains of the grand old theater of the town, and we were able to see the old stage and orchestra pit and some of the surviving walls:

 

 

 

 

Interestingly, the dungeon adjacent to the theater also survived, although it is now open to the sky. Cyparis’ dungeon cell is still intact:

 

 

 

 

We returned to the port in a long-lasting drenching rain … which let up just as well pulled into the pier area. We are certainly not hitting the casino tonight, since we have used up all our luck for today.

 

 

More later,

Dave

[retiretwo]

Dave, I'm loving your review and especially the photos! We took the same excursion the last time were in Martinique and really enjoyed it. Since we'll be there on a Sunday next month, I'm wondering if you saw anything going on near the pier area? Were those white tents on the docking area open for shopping? Thanks, Terri

[sppunk]

Dave was your Matinique tour through HAL? I assume yes but just curious.

[gigianne]

Brad Cumming was on the Nieuw Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago - we enjoyed his show - lots of laughs!

[RetiredMustang]

Wendy,

 

I don't know, but I will ask and see if I can find out. I'll get back to you.

 

Dave

 

Wendy,

 

This afternoon, I assembled a crack team of experienced Ocean Bar bartenders and servers, with experience in a variety of bars on a number of HAL ships, and asked the question. The consensus is: no, not the two examples you gave.

 

They agreed that the Sip and Savo(u)r was a promotional price, specifically exempted from the SBC, and also thought the special martini samplers fell in the same category. Special drinks of the day at sailaways are covered, as well as the usual drinks of the day, but not promotions like happy hour and others.

 

You should probably consult your team of master lubrication engineers when you board, but the ruling from Bar Team Oosterdam: nope.

 

 

Dave