REVIEW W/PHOTOS - Rotterdam Panama Canal 2/25-3/8/24

[Trish Traveler]

Another wonderful cruise on the HAL Rotterdam!  This was the 12 night Panama Canal (partial transit) Sunfarer, February 25 through March 8, 2024.  Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale to Half Moon Cay, Curacao, Cartagena Colombia, Panama Canal/Colon, Puerto Limon Costa Rica, and Grand Cayman.  This review is a couple of weeks post-cruise.  This was our 24^th cruise overall on 6 cruise lines.  This was our 2^nd time on HAL and on the Rotterdam, which we sailed for the first time back in September 2023 on a Norway Cruise out of Amsterdam, which we loved.  We were originally booked for a while under the $1 deposit sale, but right before final payment was due, we saw that the Monday Cyber Sale offered in November was a better price because the HIA included the gratuities also.  After learning they couldn’t reprice it from customer service, I decided to cancel and then rebook as inside cabins were still available.  That worked great, and we also had the new AARP OBC applied.  This review also serves as my personal memoir so it is detailed.  However, I won’t include all 2500 amateur photos I took!  And I apologize in advance for any blurry, crooked menu pics as I snap those quickly, so as not to be obnoxious.  And excuse my run-on sentences. Below is a photo of Rotterdam in Costa Rica later in the cruise.

 

Having never been to the Panama Canal, we were very excited, but also concerned that the low water levels currently might impact the ability to transit the canal, which we would totally understand if that happened.  To prepare we read The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough and Panama Fever by Matthew Parker.   Also watched a documentary DVD - Panama Canal: Gateway to the American Century.

 

We flew in one day prior arriving early evening and once again stayed at the Hyatt Place Ft. Lauderdale Cruise Port (1851 SE 10th Ave) with the discount price through ValueTrips online.  Wow, during my hotel research I found prices are sure high in Ft. Lauderdale in February (high season), plus being a Saturday night.  But we just factor that in because we just feel more comfortable flying in at minimum the day before.   We used the Avanti shuttle service from the airport to the hotel for $8pp.  The airport was crowded, but we only had to wait about 5 minutes after calling for the shuttle.  Check in was easy.  The staff there is always so nice and professional.  We also signed up with the hotel for the 10am shuttle to the cruise port, which is also provided by Avanti for $9pp.  The hotel had one of two elevators not operating due to “renovations”.  I forgot to take pictures of the room, but it was identical to what we had last year, and shown on their website.  Overall, it is clean and comfortable.  The only glaring exception is the big fabric couch in the room had several large stains.  I mentioned this to the front desk and they said they should be replacing the couches within the year.  We weren’t using that anyway.  As it was already evening, we were really hungry and walked over to the nearby shopping center where we had a nice Tex-Mex meal at La Bomba while sitting outside on their patio.  There are several other restaurants located here as well as a Publix and Total Wine, and a TJ Maxx.  Back to the hotel for an early bedtime in anticipation of “CRUISE DAY!”

 

CRUISE DAY - EMBARKATION Sunday, 2/25

Up early for the included Hyatt breakfast in the lobby.  It was sunny, but brisk for Florida, with the temperatures in the 50’s this morning.  We took a walk to enjoy the day and heard some squawking and looked up to see what I believe were Monk Parakeets/Parrots.  Seeing these brilliant green birds and green foliage all around puts us in a tropical mood.  After packing up, we went to the lobby early in case the one elevator became a problem.  It was okay for us, but probably got crowded later.  We had also received an email earlier in the week from HAL indicating that traffic in the port area would be heavier this weekend, so allow more time.  So we felt taking the earliest shuttle at 10am was a good idea, especially since sail away was 3PM.  The shuttle ($9pp) worked great.

 

 

Arriving at the terminal, we were able to go right in for check-in and security before we were seated in Group 3.  We were on the ship by about 11:30am.  Cabins were not ready yet, so we headed up to the Crows Nest forward on Deck 12 to check on some shore excursion waitlists.  It was nice and empty up here and we had our first drink, (Negroni  for me, and rum rocks for my pirate DH) enjoying the amazing views, while we waited for the Shorex to open.  We chatted with a nice B2B woman who said they had missed HMC the day before due to wave conditions.  We know this can happen with tender ports, but we were hopeful we would make it tomorrow as having never visited; we were excited for the chance to visit this new port for us at HAL’s private island.

 

Time to head down to the cabin to drop carry-ons, watch the safety briefing on TV, and check out the first “Daily” to plan our day (I bring a highlighter for these).  We stayed in an inside cabin aft on Schubert Deck 7 – 7153.  It was very nice and clean with lots of storage, nice bathroom with the best shower with glass door.  Of course, after staying in a Balcony cabin last time, this inside cabin did look small initially.  I think what we missed the most was having no area (like a couch) to pile our extra items to get ready for port days i.e. backpacks, snorkeling gear etc.  The closets had plenty of hangars, but can be a little awkward to navigate at times, right across from the bathroom.  The vanity was nice and wide, but the large heavy cube ottoman was difficult to easily pull in and out (it is extra heavy because it serves as storage for extra bed linens).  The bed was very comfortable with a nice large flat screen TV facing it.  Plenty of TV stations and movies, but what we used the most was the bow and aft webcams which gives us the illusion of a “window” on an inside cabin.  The bedside table area has good lighting and electric and USB plug-ins on both sides of the bed.  The vanity also had plenty of plug-ins.  The blow dryer provided is fine for me as I don’t want to waste space/weight packing those anymore.  Just takes longer to dry hair than at home.  One thing I found amusing is the “Gift” card which explains our beverage package… I don’t consider that a gift as I believe I am paying for that in the HIA rate I chose!  We did however receive two nice canvas Hal tote bags again as a gift.  We also met our Room Stewards Vincen and Wayan who were friendly and did a great job attending to our cabin needs all cruise! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Crew News]

An excellent review, goo photos, and a good preview for my November cruise aboard the Rotterdam.

 

How was the internet speed?  Grand Dutch Cafe? Entertainment?

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. CRUISE DAY - EMBARKATION Sunday 2/25

After checking in at our muster station, we headed up to the Lido Market Buffet for a few lunch snacks.  As expected on embarkation day, it was quite busy, so I didn’t get many pictures here.  We enjoyed sitting out by the aft pool area and I got a delicious mocktail: Cool as a Cucumber from the Sea View Bar.  We spent some time exploring and getting re-aquainted with the ship before sailaway.  It was a beautiful day in Port Everglades.  Our docking space here was interesting as we were horizontal and the RCCL Odyssey of the Seas was vertical to the left of us and the Celebrity Ascent vertical to the right of us.  So like a squared off letter U with us being the bottom of the U.  Anyway, it made for an interesting departure as we first had to slide out sideways before angling forward to depart. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After Sailaway, we headed to the Grand Dutch Café on deck 3 for some coffee and snacks.  I love the offerings here.  We loved the beautifully presented Triple Berry Pannenkoek (crepe) and for savory snacks: the Bitterballen and Vlammetjes (spicy mini spring rolls).  So delicious.  I just wish some of these items would be served daily before 11:30am as they would make great breakfast choices.  We did a bit more walking outside here on the Promanade deck which is great as it goes all the way around the ship. It just lacks any real seating areas other than an occasional bench, as it is narrow.  But still a plus, especially when staying in an inside cabin, so we can pop outside easily when needed for views and fresh air. 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a beautiful sunset to enjoy before listening to a little music on the Music Walk.  We had already seen the Origins Show on our last cruise, so we skipped it this time, although I highly recommend it as a fascinating look at Holland America’s history.  Back to the cabin to unpack and turn in. We placed a hanger card on our doorknob to order room service for breakfast.  Fingers crossed for HMC  tomorrow.

[Trish Traveler]

2 minutes ago, Crew News said:

An excellent review, goo photos, and a good preview for my November cruise aboard the Rotterdam.

 

How was the internet speed?  Grand Dutch Cafe? Entertainment?

Thank you. It will take me a while to complete posting.  I don't use the internet that much, but it seemed fine to me.  Love the offerings at Grand Dutch Cafe and plenty of great entertainment I will cover in the posts to come.

[Trish Traveler]

HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

We were awakened by the knock on the door with our room service order.  The tray was huge stacked with all these dishes, as I soon realized my mistake – that I had ordered double of everything by indicating there were two people dining, when in my mind, we planned on sharing one set of all our choices marked with an X.  Oh well, it was delicious.  Just hard to find a place to set everything in an inside cabin.  I always feel very bougie eating room service presented so lovely.  The bow cam on the TV showed a nice day outside. 

 

We prepared all our stuff (HAL provides beach towels in your cabin to take ashore) and put on sunscreen so we would be ready if we did indeed get to go to Half Moon Cay.  We headed down to BB Kings where you need to be ready to go and check in for a tender #.  We were cleared right about 8am and set off to the tender.  Yippee!  We love exploring new places like this, so we spent the quiet early morning walking and exploring the grounds and beach areas.  There’s a pretty little church, playground, shipwreck bar, walking trails and lots of pretty flowers and foliage to enjoy.  It’s really gorgeous here, with amazing white sand and azure seas.  I had a 10am HAL Stingray Adventure booked, so I needed to meet by the main entrance area kiosk for a shuttle to the Stingray enclosure.   Although the drink package does not include drinks at HMC, I took a photo of the menu at the first bar near the entrance so you have an idea of the offerings.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

 

The shuttle took us to the area for the Stingray Adventure.  It is on the lagoon area of the island where the stingrays are in a penned in area of the water.  The gals running it were great.  They gave us instructions and provided safety vests, snorkel gear if wanted and unlocked lockers for your gear.  You enter the water by a staircase and the water is about waist deep for the main part where you are with the stingrays, and gets deeper further out.  The water was a bit cold at first as the Bahamas are fairly north and Florida was having a coolish winter so the Bahamas water was also still pretty cool.  You could see the stingrays, about 5 or 6 I’d say swimming in the water right away.  You don’t really need snorkel gear as there wasn’t that much to see in this spot.  I saw a school of small white fish.   After enjoying the area for a bit, the gals had us form a circle to touch and feed the stingrays a piece of fish.  It’s been a long time since I did a stingray encounter, so it was a delight to feel there soft bodies swim next to you.  So cute with their big eyes and graceful movements.    We also got to learn about and hold a live conch in its shell, sea cucumber, and starfish which needed to stay underwater to breath.   There was a HAL photographer of course if you want to purchase those on the ship.  Total time was about one hour from the start of the shuttle ride.  I really enjoyed it and would recommend it for the price (although I was using some HIA excursion credit).  Don’t forget to bring some cash if you want to tip the guides. While chatting with the gals, we learned most of them live on Eleuthera and have a one hour each way boat ride to work on HMC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

Although you could take the shuttle back, we enjoyed walking back to the area where the lunch would be served 11am-1pm.  The set-up for the BBQ lunch buffet is good here.  There are several identical islands for the offerings of salads, meats, and desserts.  I took some pictures of the menus, but not much of the food other than the tasty key lime cupcakes.  They also had ice cream for dessert.  And I believe they had water, lemonade and ice tea included.  There are lots of shaded picnic tables.  We tried a variety of items and it was all very good, especially the Jerk Chicken Breast.  There is a bar nearby also.

 

 

 

 

 

Time for relaxing in a beach chair.  We were also in port today with the Nieuw Statendam who arrived a little later than us.  By this time most of the closest loungers were taken, but if you walk further you can probably get lucky and find something like we did.  This is an ideal beach day on a perfect beach.  Ahh…we were even able enjoy a Bahmaian Kalik beer purchased from the shipwreck bar nearby. 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

Time to walk the beautiful beach further down to where the horse stable is (another shore excursion) just in time to see them leave and walk into the ocean for the start of their horseback ride.  This is quite a distance from the main beach/swimming area in case you are wondering about that. I imagine the shuttle can take you there for HAL tours.

 

 

Next, we headed all the way to the left as you are facing the beach to the area for snorkeling.  Although, HAL offers a boat snorkel, it was sold out when I checked.  I bring my own snorkel gear anyway and had read that the only decent snorkeling is this area where they have put artificial reef balls in the ocean.  Because this is such a soft sand beach, it is a good introductory spot for beginners.  It’s not very deep either.   A man said earlier in the day, some turtles were spotted.  I did not see any, but did enjoy some tropical fish varieties.

 

 

 

 

Soon it was time to head to the tender boarding line where we waited about 20minutes for a 3pm boat (with last tender being 3:30pm).  They did provide us with cold washcloths and water while waiting.  Nice.  Back onboard we prepared for sailaway and had an announcement of a delay because a crew member missed the last shuttle (uh-oh).   Then they called a couple of passenger names.  They pulled the anchor and we began sailing away.  Then we stopped and they announced the missing passengers had been located on the island and they were sending a boat with them out to the ship.  I’ve never heard of that happening.  I hope these people know how lucky they were not to be left on the island to deal with this at their own expense.   That must have been a dangerous leap from that little boat into a hole in the ship.  Yikes.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time at HMC and felt lucky that it was a good tender day!  We had missed Great Stirrup Cay a couple of years ago, so we were due for a good private island day.

 

 

You can see below that we are already a distance from our anchorage, while the boat speeds out with the late passengers.

Below you can see the tiny boat next to the ship:

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

Time to get ready for our HIA included specialty dinner in Tamarind for the first time.  Thanks CC members for the advice on the various dishes to choose.  Everything was so delicious.  We went a little early for our 6:30 reservation to enjoy one of their special drinks at the bar, but they said we could be seated right away, so we did.  We began with the tasty (but a bit sweet for us) Wasabi Cocktail and the Shiso Sour.  We ordered 2 appetizers each and shared everything – Satay Sampler, Shrimp Tempura, Lobster & Shrimp Potstickers, and 5 Spice BBQ Ribs, along with the shrimp crackers and dips they provide.  We switched to wine with dinner – we enjoy the 13 Celcius Sauvignon Blanc and the Murphy-Goode Merlot which is available most bars on the ship and are in the Signature Beverage Package.  Our entrees were the delicious Wasabi Beef Tenderloin and the Crispy Duck (which had great flavor, but was a bit tough for duck).  For dessert we both loved the lightness of the Mango Posset.  We really enjoyed our meal here and the service and ambiance was great!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World Stage Show this evening was the Mentalist, Santiago Michel, which we enjoyed.  Later we went to listen to the band in the Rolling Stone Rock Room which was very good and the favorite evening entertainment choice for my husband, as well as me.  We also enjoyed the Pianist in the Billboard Onboard which is adjacent here on the Music Walk.  HAL just recently changed this from dual pianos to one piano. I like this format better.  I think it is more spontaneous and audience interactive.  He was really good (I apologize I can’t remember his name and it isn’t listed in the Daily).  My nightcap was the tasty, complex flavors of the Penicillin drink from the Ocean Bar.  We also like the Half Moon Bar near here.  Time for bed after a delightful, but long day.

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

SEA DAY  Tuesday 2/27    

After buffet breakfast, we went up to learn the Basics of Pickleball (as we are newbies to the sport).  The sports guy did a good job explaining the many basic concepts of the sport and scoring before letting us all have a chance to hit a few balls.  It was a good turnout.  As on land, the pickleball seemed very popular throughout the cruise whenever we walked past the court.  It was a bit windy, but a nice day overall.  We visited the library and attended the Caribbean Up Close: The Deep Blue presentation in World Stage. 

The odd bacon in the middle is turkey bacon:

 

 

 

 

Soon it was time for Lido Market Lunch.  My pictures are just a sampling of the menus posted at each station and the many choices. There were always at least two varieties of carving meats also. I tend to really love the Asian offerings (especially since it is something I don’t cook often at home).  We really like to eat outside in the aft area if we can find a table in the shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A giant pan of Paella:

One of the daily bread puddings:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[storkington]

Thanks for sharing your experience. We are on this ship with the same itinerary over the New Year and as it happens we are booked into the inside cabin 7158, so really enjoying hearing how you got in your cabin, as we have not done an inside cabin before (our first experience with that will come in October this year!).

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. SEA DAY  Tuesday 2/27

 Later we enjoyed the HAL 150^th Anniversary Beer and I especially enjoy the Lagunitas IPA which was in bottles or on tap at the Dutch Café.  At 3pm we decided to try the Indonesian Tea in the MDR to see what was special about that.  Well it was okay.  We shared a table and conversation with a nice man.  We had a tower of goodies to share.  Some of them looked like they were probably an Indonesian Treat, while others were standard like egg salad sandwiches.  There were no choices given for tea, the server just came around and poured a ready-made pot of black tea.  So although we enjoyed it, I don’t need to repeat it and I find it a bit wasteful. 

 

 

Tonight was the first Dressy Night, so we planned to eat in the MDR.  But first was the Captain’s Welcome, Lido Poolside with Captain Bas Van Dreumel.  They provide complimentary sparkling, red and white wines for a toast.  It was a beautiful night out.  We did duck out early to try and beat the crowds at the MDR, which we did with no wait at 7:10pm.  We had the shrimp cocktail (a little too much sauce, but good) and the delicious Beef Tenderloin with Shrimp Newberg. 

 

 

 

The highlight tonight for us was the World Stage Show of a Steel Pan band called Island Magic.  We arrived early to make sure we got a good seat.  We have always loved Steel Drum music since we were introduced to it many years ago cruising.  It always puts us right into that Caribbean mode.  We were blown away by the quality of this band.   This performance was classical and some show tunes.  They were dressed formally and explained how the various steel pans represent the sounds of instruments in an orchestra.  They performed music from Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Can-Can; as well as a stirring rendition of Ava Maria and so much more.  And we were excited to learn they would perform another concert later in the cruise.  I snapped one photo and I promise I did not video record as it was forbidden.  I did however buy one of their CD’s available in the gift shop.  Later, a towel animal greeted us with chocolate in our cabin.  I believe we moved our clocks one hour ahead this evening.  There were 4 time changes this cruise if memory serves correct.  Always be aware of the correct time so you don’t miss activities or miss the ship when in port!  When your cell phone is in airplane mode to avoid costly roaming charges, it won’t update the time automatically.  If you use the ships wifi and go into the HAL app, it will show you the time there.  Also, your cabin phone shows the correct ship’s time as well as the info on the TV.  Goodnight.

 

[Trish Traveler]

9 minutes ago, storkington said:

Thanks for sharing your experience. We are on this ship with the same itinerary over the New Year and as it happens we are booked into the inside cabin 7158, so really enjoying hearing how you got in your cabin, as we have not done an inside cabin before (our first experience with that will come in October this year!).

You're welcome.  We have done many inside cabins in our cruise history so we are used to them. So although we have loved the few balconies we have had, we still tend to book inside for the price savings. We don't spend that much time in our cabin either.  I love how dark they get for sleeping also. I'm sure it will take you a little getting used to, but you have to weigh the cost savings for yourself. And then you will know for sure if you will ever book an inside again after trying it out.

[Trish Traveler]

SEA DAY  Wednesday 2/28

Up early to try Tai Chi for everyone on the Lido Pool deck.  Another first for us.  The sports instructor did a good job explaining and we enjoyed the relaxing moves on this beautiful morning.  It was well attended.  And although it was offered every morning, we just never made it back with the busy port schedules coming up on this cruise.  Ready for buffet breakfast –I love those fresh waffles with berries and whip cream (although more of a dessert really), and the breakfast potatoes (as I really dislike those triangle pressed hash browns they also offer).  And as always my favorite chocolate croissant, although the nut pastry was edging it’s way in this cruise!

 

About 10am the Captain came on with the dreaded “There is a rise in gastric symptoms reported” announcement.  He said to be diligent in washing your hands and to report any symptoms immediately.  I know it happens everywhere not just on cruises.  We had it on land over Christmas recently.  We are usually pretty diligent with our hygiene practices, but would be even more vigilant.  And although most of HAL’s buffet is served by the crew anyway, the few remaining self-serve areas were changed to crew-served as well as the beverage stations in the Lido.  We also noticed that the bar menus disappeared although, we still had menus in the MDR the rest of the cruise. They also posted crew at every wash station entrance of the buffet (4) to strongly encourage washing your hands.  We were glad to see all these measures implemented. Thankfully, we remained free of the virus.   Don’t really know how many had it as they don’t readily release that info. 

 

Back to the fun stuff!  Off to the World Stage for the Caribbean Spirit the story of Rum.  My pirate DH especially enjoyed that presentation as rum is his spirit of choice.  The Cruise Director Karlijn (we also had her in Norway) does a great job narrating these talks and the large screen adds a lot to the presentation.  A very relaxing day at sea as we seek out shady areas to enjoy.  After lunch I had an excellent “not too sweet” Mai Tai that Manny prepared at the Lido Bar. We found all the bartenders to be great and usually not much of a wait.    I attended the “Where will You Cruise Next?” presentation in the afternoon to get some ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for an afternoon snack at the Dutch Café… we shared a toasted Ham & Cheese with that tasty curry ketchup dipping sauce and the deliciously decadent Bossche Bol  (we were very good this trip, we only had one).  Later we played Trivia which we always enjoy just for fun (and now with the Gastro announcement we weren’t really looking to team up).  And we enjoyed more of the cool art found on this ship.

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con't. SEA DAY  Wednesday 2/28

Another delicious MDR dinner of Chicken & Callaloo soup, Cesare Salad (too much dressing), Jerk Chicken Breast and I liked the Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, but was surprised by the heat as red pepper flakes (not mentioned) were on the shrimp.  I am a spice lightweight now, and did my best to scrape them off.  Otherwise the taste was perfect.  We didn’t attend the Step One Dance Company performance of Humanity because we just saw it in September.  We did enjoy some fresh air and a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean on the Lido Pool screen before heading back for the talented Rolling Stone Rock Room Band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO   Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM   Leap Day!

For many years we have wanted to visit Curacao and now we feel blessed to say this will be our 3^rd visit in 3 years (and we’ve had nice long port times each visit).  It has become one of our favorite Caribbean ports.  It’s so beautiful and colorful and has great snorkeling too.  It was a beautiful sunrise as we approached the port.   We love to get off the ship early and beat the crowds, while enjoying the early morning wherever we travel.  We decided to get a cab to Mambo Beach.  As we got off the ship about 8am, there was really no one to share a cab yet and we didn’t want to wait, so we paid the $30 total one way to Mambo.  We found a desirable set up of lounge chairs under a Palapa at one of the beach clubs for $5pp.  The entrance to Mambo is $3.50pp and is oddly collected by a woman who walks around (not sure why they just don’t have you pay at the entrance.  Although it does have some nice shopping and restaurants, so maybe they don’t want patrons to pay for that if not actually using the beach).  Anyway, it is still quite reasonable.  I walked the beach taking photos first while it was pretty empty.  There is the wooden Mambo Beach sign for photo ops and many colorful beach bars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cbr663]

3 hours ago, Trish Traveler said:

HALF MOON CAY    Monday 2/26   8AM-5PM  Tender Port

We were awakened by the knock on the door with our room service order.  The tray was huge stacked with all these dishes, as I soon realized my mistake – that I had ordered double of everything by indicating there were two people dining, when in my mind, we planned on sharing one set of all our choices marked with an X.  Oh well, it was delicious.  Just hard to find a place to set everything in an inside cabin.  I always feel very bougie eating room service presented so lovely.  The bow cam on the TV showed a nice day outside. 

 

 

One of the things that I always appreciate about HAL is the stainless steel plate covers.  I hate (and yes, hate is a strong word 😆) those plastic covers where you can see all the condensation underneath.  I've always heard that we eat with our eyes and the plastic covers just ruin the dining experience for me.  Now, if we can only convince HAL to get rid of those screw top bottles they are using for coffee cream/milk and bring back the stainless steel carafes they used to have.  

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO   Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM   Leap Day!

 

Later, we snorkeled by the rock wall which actually had quite a large variety of fish with good visibility on this day.  We always bring our own snorkeling gear.  Among the fish we saw were:  Sergeant Majors, Spotted Trunkfish, varieties of Parrot Fish including the Stoplight, Butterfly Fish, Blue Tangs, French Angelfish, Blue Head Wrasse, a Barracuda, a Trumpet or Needlefish, an interesting white crab and a sea centipede type of creature.  We snorkeled the entire length of the wall and saw so much, with the bigger fish being on the right side as you face the water on this day anyway.  It is a nice place to snorkel as the entrance is sand and because the area is mostly enclosed by the rock wall, so the waves are mild.  And even as it gets crowded and many people like to congregate on the wall, it doesn’t seem to bother the fish at all. I know that there are many better places to snorkel in Curacao, but we definitely enjoyed what we saw today.  It’s a lovely place to swim and especially nice for children because of the easy, gentle entrance.  Although, know that it is touristy and the actual beach area is narrow if that’s not your thing.  Returning to the ship in the afternoon, we were able to use a shared cab which was only $8pp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[FLCruiser97]

Beautiful "food porn". Makes me hungry.

[Trish Traveler]

9 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

 

One of the things that I always appreciate about HAL is the stainless steel plate covers.  I hate (and yes, hate is a strong word 😆) those plastic covers where you can see all the condensation underneath.  I've always heard that we eat with our eyes and the plastic covers just ruin the dining experience for me.  Now, if we can only convince HAL to get rid of those screw top bottles they are using for coffee cream/milk and bring back the stainless steel carafes they used to have.  

 

Yes, I agree.  And the heavy stainless warming dish they place under your hot food plate is nice also.  It sure makes for heavy trays.  I always make sure to have my cash tips ready for the room service server.

[Trish Traveler]

Just now, FLCruiser97 said:

Beautiful "food porn". Makes me hungry.

Glad you're enjoying it.  More on the way.  I'm hungry too...going to heat up leftovers soon. 😏

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO   Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM   Leap Day!

After freshening up and eating lunch on the ship, we headed back out to explore more of Willemstad.  We love this city.  It is so vibrant and colorful.  We headed through the RIF fort and took a little time to actually climb the stairs to view the remaining walls of the fort from above.  Great views of the colorful Handelskade buildings that Curacao is known for.   It was cool to see the Rhapsody of the Seas docked right in town there. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO   Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM   Leap Day!

 

Crossed over the floating Queen Emma Bridge where we saw a cute doggie couple by the Love Locks!  We stopped in the AnnaBay store for a free rum tasting and to purchase some of their rum. 

 

 

 

We passed the fruit and vegetable market before heading over a bridge to walk about a block to the building painted with a beautiful mural called Three O’Clock Romance.  There was also a small park across the street with a cool eclectic recycled art fish sculpture. We saw more colorful murals, buildings and the HOHO bus.

 

 

Three O'Clock Romance Mural:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO   Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM   Leap Day!

Heading back we heard the RhOS blow their horn for departure so we went to the St. Anna Bay waterfront to watch their departure.  The floating bridge had been opened for them to slowly sail backwards out towards the ocean.  Another large vessel left shortly after, so the floating footbridge was not available for a while. 

 

 

 

We enjoyed seeing more of the colorful murals and the Curacao sign before heading back to the Otrobanda side of the bridge to see a new stunning mural visible there.  It was quite warm and we were ready for a refreshment so we stopped back in the RIF fort at Kaya to try the local Otrobanda IPA beer – perfect! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trish Traveler]

Con’t. WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO   Thursday 2/29 8AM-11PM   Leap Day!

Back to the ship again where we enjoyed many of the choices at the Caribbean Themed Dinner offered at the Lido.  It was once again delightful to eat alfresco at the aft Seaview Area, enjoying another gorgeous sunset. 

 

 

 

 

Celebrity Equinox:

 

 

We were really relaxed and a bit tired but you are not in Willemstad everyday…so it was time to head off the ship for the third time to enjoy the night views of the ship and see the Queen Emma Bridge lit up.  We really enjoyed this last year, so had to repeat it.  That’s what is so nice about the long port times we had here.  And even if you don’t want to get off the ship in the evening, be sure to at least go up to a higher deck to view the colorful lights including the bridge which you can see from up there!  It’s delightful and romantic.  Back on the ship to enjoy some great musical sets at BB Kings & Rolling Stone.  Another terrific day in Curacao.  Glad it’s a sea day tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the ship:

 

Lemon Drop: