The Baths at Virgin Gorda

Posted on August 2, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Tortola in the wake of the ferry to Virgin Gorda

When visiting Tortola as a cruise port stop the Baths at Virgin Gorda is a popular place to see. It is a unique experience not found in other ports. Virgin Gorda is another of the British Virgin Islands, a short ferry ride away from Tortola.

Baths at Virgin Gorda

At the baths large boulders of volcanic origin haphazardly piled on one another create a labyrinth of sandy trails and seawater pools of varying depths. Small to tiny fish swim about in some of the pools, individually or in schools. Some of the boulders surrounding these pools are as large as 40 feet in diameter.

narrow gap

The name baths seems to refer to all the various pools, but it’s actually short for batholith – a large mass of intrusive igneous rock which means rock originating from magma (molten rock). The boulders there are granite, which is a type of igneous rock.

first pool you get to from the trail down to the baths

This series of small pools and rock caves was created by molten rock seeping into previously existing volcanic rock layers without reaching the surface. Slow cooling formed a hard crystal granite layer which shrank and cracked into blocks. These were exposed when the softer volcanic rock above eroded away. Weathering rounded the corners of the boulders into their current shapes.

sailboats moored outside of the baths

While most people approach the Baths from land, they can be accessed from the sea in calm weather conditions. There are mooring buoys and a dingy dock line available for those who come by private boat. Some people swim in from their boats when the weather and sea conditions allow. Cruise ship passengers from Tortola can either arrive through a ship’s excursion where the ferry leaves right from the cruise port or go into town and take the public ferry to get there on their own. It is best to make ferry reservations in advance.

ferry at the dock in Virgin Gorda

The ferries stop at a small pier on Virgin Gorda that is not near anything. A fleet of open-sided busses waited to take us to the Baths when our ferry arrived. These are the standard transportation to and from the baths and coincide their schedules with the ferries.

open sided bus takes people from the ferry dock to the baths

We went by excursion rather than on our own because when googling the ferry schedule from the ship it only showed one ferry whose times did not coincide with our ship’s schedule to allow enough time to go there. There are actually at least 2 ferries and the other one would have given us plenty of time had we seen its schedule. There may be a third ferry, which at least existed previously according to someone who went there on their own from a cruise ship before, but there were only two ferry schedules posted at the dock at the time of our visit. Or maybe the third ferry is the one that does the ship’s excursions.

view from the shelter at the top of the baths

The Baths are a national park of the British Virgin Islands. At the top of a hill there’s a restroom and a shelter where groups can gather near where the busses stop. Facilities at the top of the baths include a restaurant, bar, pool, and shops as well as great views.

map of the trails at the baths

A sandy trail leads down towards the baths. At the start of the trail a sign shows a map of the one-way loop route to and from the baths. It’s a one-way route to prevent pile-ups of people going one way having to wait for others going the other way to get through narrow gaps, steep stairways, or rope-on-rock crossings while going through the baths. You still have to wait if there are people in front of you, but they are all going the same direction.

excursion group on the trail

Part of the trail is surrounded in vegetation, some of it tall spiny cactus. Other areas offer views of the water.

giant cactus on the trail to the baths

When you come to a fork in the path, the left fork is the easy route straight to the beach at Devil’s Bay. The right fork goes to the Baths. If you go there on a cruise ship excursion they will take the easy path, spend some time on that beach, then go through the baths to another beach. The first beach has no amenities, but the second one does.

sign on the trail

The guide on our excursion allowed us to bail from the group and take the trail directly to the baths. We had no desire to spend time on the beach and preferred to have more time to explore the baths. The pathway down leads to a variety of pools. There are lots of side trails into dead-end pools, all of which are worth exploring.

trail sign

Besides having more time to spend in the baths rather than on a beach, splitting off from the group allowed us to go down the rest of the trail to get there at our own pace rather than the excruciatingly slow pace the excursion group was taking.

pool at the baths

We spent nearly all of the time that the main excursion group spent at the first beach wandering through all sorts of nooks and crannies in the baths rather than just going straight through on the main trail as the excursion group did. We only arrived at the beach a few minutes before the main group got there so we had considerably more time to see a lot more of the baths than we would have staying with the group. They missed so much going straight through without exploring any of the pools and dead-end trails.

little waterfall between two pools

In a narrow gap between two small pools a tiny waterfall switched directions each time a wave went in or out.

stairway on the trail through the baths

Some parts of the path are sandy trails, often uneven and sometimes full of protruding portions of rock. Others areas pass through pools. Some places require climbing up or down stairways, ducking under overhanging rocks, or using a rope to navigate a slippery rock. One steep stairway is best taken going backwards or so the sign next to it recommends.

rope assisted rock crossing

We found one side trail through a very small triangular opening in a rock that led into a pool. A crab scuttled up a rock on the side of that pool. It was much bigger than a beach crab, but not as big as the ones people eat. A circular path brought us back to where we’d started without having to go back through the tiny opening again.

bridge over and through rocks in the baths

There are a lot of different side trails that veer off the main pathway through the baths. Some lead to pools, others to dry sandy caves, but all are worth exploring. After all when going there to see the baths might as well see all of it rather than just hurrying through on the main trail and spending time on the beach when you can go to beaches on any island.

big pool at the baths

Most of the pools through the baths are pretty small, but some of them are kind of big. The bigger ones are generally out in the open rather than surrounded by rocks in a cave.

dry cave at the baths

The last big pool before the exit has some fairly deep areas and an opening into another smaller pool. Parts of these pools are fairly deep, but most people go to the baths with the intention of getting wet. There was some sand at the edge of the pool where some people left their belongings before going for a swim there. An offshoot nearby led to a dry cave.

beach beyond the exit from the baths

The baths exit onto a beach with restrooms and a little beach bar. There are signs at the exit saying that opening is exit only, and other signs saying not to climb on the boulders at the side of the beach.

beach bar

A trail from that beach leads straight back up to the parking area without going back through the baths. It’s a shorter and more direct trail than the long winding one leading down. There are stairways in the steeper parts.

pool with a view

This is a place like no other. It’s well worth seeing. It’s something unique and different that you won’t find at any other port. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes quirks of nature and doesn’t have any balance or mobility issues. When visiting the baths water shoes are the ideal footwear. It’s best not to bring or wear anything that can’t get wet because everything probably will. Also bring as little as possible and try to carry everything hands free as you may need your hands for navigating through some areas of the baths.

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Posted in Caribbean, Enchanted Princess, Ports of Call, Princess, Shore Excursions | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Décor on MSC Meraviglia

Posted on July 26, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Swarovski crystal stairway

The décor on MSC Meraviglia was mostly tasteful. It kind of looked to be generally going for understated elegance.  The centerpiece is the crystal stairway in the atrium, and the highlighted feature the video ceiling over the promenade, reminiscent of Freemont Street in Las Vegas. Swarovski crystal stairways are a thing with MSC. The Meraviglia had a double one going several levels through the atrium. The Divina had them too.

odd sculptures weren’t everywhere on Meraviglia, but could be found in some places

Ugly or odd sculptures or statues seem to be a requirement on most cruise ships. On some ships they are everywhere. Some of the other cruise ship décor can be pretty weird too. Celebrity Constellation was one of the strangest of all with stairway art consisting of weeds, blobs, and childish looking sculptures including ear worms. There was also a statue on the Constellation that looked like the covid virus, though it existed long before covid. Carnival Splendor was pretty far out there in its décor too with pink dots everywhere, a dining room ceiling that looked like fried eggs, a stairway railing that looked like hamburger buns, and a painting in an elevator we dubbed naked toilet man. Meraviglia didn’t have any of that, though a few odd sculptures and ugly statues could be found when looking for them.

Alhambra

All of the decks had names as well as numbers. The were named after various locations around the world like the Grand Canyon, Kilimanjaro, Machu Picchu, or Petra. Our cabin was on a deck called Alhambra, which was one of the few named after something I had not previously heard of. It’s a fort in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. The word means the red house and it is one of the 7 wonders of the Muslim world. Each deck had several pictures of the place that the deck was named after near the stairways and elevators. There was no elevator button for deck 17, but it did have one for deck 13. American ships usually have no deck 13, but in Italy 17 is the bad luck number so Meraviglia jumped straight from deck 16 to 18, skipping deck 17. Meraviglia means wonder in Italian.

elevator bay sculpture

The front stairway had sculptures in the elevator bay as well as the location pictures.

stairway boats

The landings between decks on stairways had pictures of boats. Sometimes one big one and sometimes two smaller ones. They were all the same style of picture, but each with different boats.

dining room

The ship had three dining rooms. Ours was all done in red and white.

walls of glasses

The other two dining rooms had walls of glass at the entrance, one full of bottles of wine and the other of glasses.

walkway into the casino

Other places on the ship had decorative entryways as well, like the casino with a card-themed entrance. The ship had a lot of space taken up with wide hallways that only served as the entrance to one place.

rock grotto spa

Public spaces each had their own individual décor that was different from anywhere else on the ship. The spa looked like a rock grotto.

Anchor Pub

The Anchor Pub had barrel tables on the walkway outside and a large mural at the end of the hall with a real bicycle sitting next to an old-fashioned lamppost.

fishy buffet

The buffet had quite a variety of fishy wall paintings.

glass sculpture

An open area with lots of chairs had a glass sculpture hanging over an area with no floor where you could look down and see the deck below – or look out the 2-deck-high window to enjoy a view of the sea or whatever else was out there like sunsets, scenery, or ports.

atrium

The atrium opened up 4 decks high with twisty sculptures running down to a piano at the bottom, flanked by the crystal stairways. Meraviglia is a pretty large ship with something different to see everywhere you go onboard.

dome show

The video ceiling dome over the promenade area, which was called the galleria on the Meraviglia, mostly displayed still pictures of all sorts of things from cloudy skies to colorful patterns or even photos of people walking by, but several times a day they had dome shows where moving videos played across the dome.

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Port Stop in Juneau

Posted on July 19, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

view of distant ships in Juneau from the whale statue

One of the port stops on our Alaskan cruise on Quantum of the Seas was in Juneau. All of the excursions offered there were pretty expensive. The last time I’d been there you could find pretty much anything you wanted to do available at the little booths by the dock for less than what ships excursions cost so we figured to just go see what we could find once we got onshore.

waiting for the glacier bus by the tram

I’d always thought the dock right at the base of the Mount Roberts Tram belonged to Holland America because every previous trip I’ve made to Juneau it was always only Holland America ships that ever docked there. I was quite surprised that our Royal Caribbean ship stopped at that dock, and right next to it one from Seaborne. Considering the size of the Quantum, something very small like a Seaborne ship is probably all else that would fit with it at the dock, but even more surprising was that the Volendam, a Holland America ship, was in town that day and got no dock at all. It had to tender. There were 6 ships total in port. Princess has a dock just down the way from the one at the center of town where we were. Whether they are the only ones to use it or not I don’t know, but when we docked there once on a Princess ship everything on and near that dock said Princess on it. The third dock in Juneau is about a mile from town, which is a walkable distance for many people, but there are shuttles for people docked out there who don’t want to or can’t walk to town.

booths on the dock in Juneau

There are a row of booths right at the dock so they are pretty much the first thing you come to when you get off the ship. Each of the in-town docks has their own set of booths. I’d imagine the out-of-town dock has them as well, but can’t say for sure since the only time I’ve ever been to that one was too long ago to have any idea what is there now. There weren’t any then, but I don’t think there were any at the Holland America dock back then either and the Princess dock wasn’t even built yet.

trolley style bus stopped by the whale statue

The last time I had been to Juneau was pre-covid and at that time those little booths offered pretty much anything the ship’s shore excursions offered, only for a better price. This time the only options were whale watching (expensive), busses to the glacier, or a city tour with glacier which was really just a bus to the glacier with narration about things it drove past on the way there. The only extra stop it made was at a whale statue on the way back. Either everything else was already full before we got there since we were the 5th of 6 ships to arrive, or they weren’t offering as anywhere near as much as they did pre-covid.

Mount Roberts tram in the lower tram stop

We didn’t have anything better to do so we booked the one that was supposed to be a city tour and glacier visit. We’d all been out to Mendenhall Glacier before, but if there had actually been a city tour it would have been something new. Just mentioning things they drove past on the way to the glacier really wasn’t anything new since the regular glacier bus did that too when we took it once before. So the whale statue was the only new thing we hadn’t seen on a previous trip there.

under the Mt Roberts tram

The busses loaded by the Mt. Roberts tram base. We watched the tram go up and down a few times while waiting for the bus. It used to be really cheap to take that tram, but like everything else it costs a whole lot more now. Our bus for this tour was a trolley which is usually used just for city tours that weren’t running that day so they used it for city/glacier tours. At least it looked like a trolley, but it was really just a bus in a trolley suit.

visitors center at Mendenhall Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier’s visitor center has viewpoints for looking at the glacier, a short film, a gift shop, some exhibits, and some trails.

some of the trails near the visitor center have a fee now

Most trails are free, but a sign in the bus shelter said that a couple of them have a fee now. Since we didn’t see that until we were done there we wouldn’t have known about the fee if we’d gone on those trails unless there was something on the trail about it.

trail by the visitors center

There’s a paved trail leading out to the waterfall and closer views of the glacier below the main visitor center near the parking area.

glacier viewing platform at Mendenhall Glacier visitors center

All the bus stops in the parking area at the visitor’s center had animal names. The farthest one from the visitor’s center was called bear and had a first-come-first served bus that our driver said our tour tickets would work for if we wanted to either leave before the hour and a half time we were given there was up, or to stay later so we assumed that one was for the stragglers that didn’t make their regular bus for any of the different ones that go there. Our tour bus stopped at the one named goat, as did some other tour bus companies, but there was at least one other stop where some busses went.

Mendenhall Glacier 2023

As expected, the glacier was smaller than it had been the last time we were there since like most glaciers on the planet that one is receding.

the glacier and waterfall aren’t even close to each other now

There’s a waterfall separate from the glacier that came out of the face of it at one point, and a big hole in a rock not far from the visitor’s center where that water landed, but it is nowhere near there now. Earlier than that Mendenhall Lake didn’t even exist as the glacier itself went beyond where the lake is now.

icebergs in Mendenhall Lake

The glacier has retreated about 2.5 miles from its farthest point in the mid 1700’s. About 1.75 miles of that since 1929 when Mendenhall Lake was created. Between 1999 and 2022 it retreated 4,600 feet. It has retreated over 160 feet annually for the last couple decades.

kayaks by the glacier

We saw some kayaks paddling around between the little ice bergs near the glacier and thought Mel and Jen might be out there since they had done a kayaking excursion at that port, but it turned out to be a different tour as theirs had not gone near the glacier.

posing with the whale

We caught our regular tour bus back. The stop at the whale statue was a short one, just long enough for people to go out and take photos. It was getting kind of cold by then anyway. The weather prediction for the day had been showers, but we got lucky with just a few light sprinkles off and on.

new building in Juneau

Other than the tram the area next to the ships was mainly shops and a few bars and restaurants. New buildings since our last visit included a big parking garage and a new block of the same stores found at pretty much all cruise ship ports.

More Blogs About Juneau

Cruise Ship Port, Zipline, Glacier Gardens, Juneau, River Raft, Mendenhall Glacier 2013, Mendenhall Glacier 2016, Mount Roberts Tramway, Mount Roberts Tram on a Stormy Day, At the Top of Mount Roberts Tram

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Honolulu Cruise Port

Posted on July 12, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Noordam in Honolulu

In Honolulu the ship docks within walking distance of a variety of things to do. It’s just under a kilometer to the Aloha Tower, where there’s great views of the cruise ship from the end of the pier. On the way there we saw the Waikiki trolley go by. There are a number of statues and historical buildings within walking distance of the ship. People can also get transportation out to Waikiki or other area attractions if they’d rather go there. City busses are the cheapest way to travel for those wanting to go farther than their own feet can take them. Faster and more direct but higher priced service is available from Uber, Lyft, or taxis.

bikes for rent, bus, and trolley

The Waikiki trolley doesn’t go to the port, but we saw it in a couple places not far from there so it’s also a possibility for transportation to more distant places if people don’t mind walking a bit to find it. We also saw a bunch of bikes for rent alongside of a road so people who like to get around by bike could have that option as well, again if they didn’t mind walking out of the port a bit to find them.

Iolani Palace

Chinatown is just over a mile and a half away. Iolani Palace is just under a mile and a half from the port. There are lots of little shops near the dock, and it’s just under 2 miles to Ala Moana Center, the world’s largest open air shopping center.

Diamond Head

Diamond Head is just over 5 miles away by road and can be reached by bus in slightly under half an hour. There is a small entry fee to get into the park, and a trail there for hiking in the crater. The hike is less than a mile each way, but the trail is steep and uneven.

Waikiki Beach

It’s about 3 and a half miles from the cruise port to Wakiki Beach so it is within walking distance for those who don’t mind a bit of a hike, but most will either take the bus, taxi, or other transportation to get there.

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor is 9 miles away. Lots of excursions go there. You can get there on your own, but it’s expensive to get there unless you take the bus. If you want to be sure to see things like the Arizona Memorial making reservations in advance is recommended.

shuttle at the port

The port building was mostly wide-open space, with some sort of ship on display in front of many folding chairs. There were not any last-minute tours right at the port, but there was a free shopping shuttle to town. The port itself didn’t have much to offer, but it’s a quick walk from the ship out to the street.

flower in Honolulu

Excursions from the ship included several different tour options to Pearl Harbor, the Atlantis submarine (which we saw getting towed out of port from our balcony on its way to wherever they start the tour), a Polynesian cultural center, a tour out to the north shore of Oahu, a rainforest walk, tour of diamond head, a visit to a valley for a history tour, a bus tour around the island, a hop on hop off bus, or a scenic drive.

Japanese ship docked near the Aloha tower

People can also book things through outside sources before the cruise. There are lots of options of things to do there, but for specific activities mostly if you make your plans in advance.

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Tortola Cruise Port

Posted on July 5, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

ships in Tortola

Tortola is the largest and most populated of the British Virgin Islands. It’s also the home of Road Town, the capital of the BVI. Beaches and watersports are the main tourist attractions. The island also has places of historic interest including a windmill, a fort, and museums including a sugar works museum. Although the island is British, currency is the US dollar because the British Virgin Islands are closely associated with the US Virgin Islands. Average temperatures are in the 80’s F and rainfall is about 43 inches annually.

two ships at the dock in Tortola

The port at Tortola has a dock that can hold two ships. Straight off the dock there’s an area of shops right at the port. A lot of the standard cruise ship shops you find in most ports are present, but there are also some local shops not found elsewhere.

just off the dock

The dock area is fenced off with security for only ship people to go onto the dock. Once you are on the other side of the fence there’s an information booth and all the shops. There’s also space for shore excursions to gather and a platform for taking photos of the ship with a giant colorful BVI (for British Virgin Islands).

shops at Tortola cruise port

The port area was sort of like a little mini city with little streets full of shops criss-crossing for several blocks. Some streets looked as if cars could go there, but none did.

row of booths

There were bars and eateries as well as shops and a row of little open-sided booths along the waterfront.

bandstand at the port

At the end of the port area just before the taxi stand a bandstand under a canvas cover had a band with live music playing next to a public restroom.

local rums at a shop in the port

There were several liquor shops among the local offerings. Besides standard brands found everywhere, shops in the Caribbean often carry locally made brands of rum that may be both better and cheaper than better known brands. Also some with crazy names.

things to do sign near the taxi stand

Signs around the port area indicate which way to go to find things like taxis or the way to go to get into town. People holding signs offered last minute tours. A sign posted on a wall near the taxi/bus stand listed all sorts of things to do and how much each cost. The closest beach is about 5 miles from the port.

one of many pools in the Baths at Virgin Gorda

The Baths at Virgin Gorda is a popular place to visit from Tortola. Virgin Gorda is a nearby island and the baths are unique seaside rock formations with pools. You can walk or take a taxi to town where there are ferries to Virgin Gorda. From there people can take a bus out to the baths. You can also get there on a shore excursion where the boat ride starts right from the port and busses await at the ferry dock in Virgin Gorda. Whether getting there on your own or through an excursion, the baths are different from anything you will see anywhere else and well worth a visit. If going on your own it’s best to check the ferry schedules ahead of time and book your ferry ride in advance.

view of Tortola from Enchanted Princess

Excursions offered from the Enchanted Princess in Tortola were: Best of Tortola (panoramic scenic drive, beach, & shopping); Coast to Coast Scenic Drive & Pusser’s Landing; North Shore Coast Scenic Drive & Pusser’s Landing; Cane Garden Bay Beach Break & Scenic Drive; Cane Garden Bay Beach Break; Scenic Island Cruise & Pusser’s Landing; The Baths at Virgin Gorda & Beach; Jost Van Dyke Island Beach Break & Scenic Cruise; and Snorkel, Swim, Beach & Scenic Cruise. A lot of these excursions go to Pusser’s Landing which is apparently a popular wharfside pub at a marina according to google.

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Scenic Overlooks in Australia’s Blue Mountains

Posted on July 4, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Blue Mountains

There’s a lot more to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia than the tourist attractions at Jenolan Caves or Scenic World in Katoomba, though those are both quite popular and definitely worth visiting. These mountains have over 140 kilometers of hiking trails, generally referred to as tracks in Australia, and rock formations like the famous Three Sisters. Echo Point is a good viewpoint for the Three Sisters, as is Scenic World.

3 sisters

the Three Sisters in Australia’s Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains are home to quaint little mountain towns and canyons big and small with canyoning adventures available to beginners as well as experienced climbers. Some are even suitable for kids. The name Blue Mountains comes from the abundance of eucalyptus trees. Oil from these trees combined with dust and water vapor scatter predominantly blue short-wave light rays that can give off a misty blue hue.

glow worms

internet photo of glow worms

Glow Worms can be found in tunnels and caves in the Blue Mountains. Some are easy to get to, like those in the caves at winery tours where people on cruise ship excursions are taken. Others take a bit more effort to find, like the one we hiked to in an old mine train tunnel between Lithgow and Newnes.

trail to a viewpoint at Govetts Leap Lookout

Other things to visit in the Blue Mountains include valleys, orchards, historic hotels, gardens, and scenic walkways. There’s also lots of scenic lookouts. People can just stop for quick photos overlooking the view. Many overlooks also have trails. Some are just short trails to more lookout points, others connect into more extensive trail systems.

living on the edge at Lincoln’s Rock

Lincoln’s Rock is a favorite place for tourists and locals alike for living on the edge – or at least taking photos perched on the edge of a rock hanging over a drop-off on a hillside. It’s so popular that you now have to pay to park in the nearby lot, or carpark as Australians call both parking lots and parking garages. It’s a short hike from the parking area to the semi-flat rocks where people enjoy posing on the edge. If there’s very many people there you might have to wait your turn for the best spot.

remains of an old building under Lincoln’s Rock

A short trail near the large flat rock where people pose leads the remains of an old building under an overhang. There’s a small cave nearby up in the side of the rock that people sometimes climb up to.

on top of Lincoln’s Rock

Lincoln’s Rock is named after Australian climber Lincoln Hall and is found on the Kings Tableland Plateau south of Wentworth falls.

Evans Lookout

Evans Lookout has a view of Grose Valley. This valley helped start the conservation movement in New South Wales and was instrumental in the early formation of Blue Mountains National Park when a group of bushwalkers pooled their money to buy out a logging lease and save the forest in 1932. Historically the area was home to Aboriginal people. Their cave drawings, carvings, and stone tools can still be found throughout the Blue Mountains.

stone hut

There was an empty stone hut at Evans Lookout. A short walk from the parking area led to the lookout, but at the time we were there the hiking trail leading down from the viewing area into the forest was closed.

Sheri on the rock

A smaller side trail led to some big rocks worth climbing on for a different view than the one in the paved area, but it did not lead into the trail system. This is in the Blackheath area of Blue Mountains National Park.

sign at Evans Lookout

There are detailed signs at the trailheads/lookout parking areas with lots of information.

Bridal Veil waterfall

Govetts Leap is not actually named for anyone who jumped off the cliff there. It’s just named after the first white guy to find the waterfall there, which is called Bridal Veil. There are accessible paths in the lookout area and a view across the Grose Wilderness. Several hiking trails can be accessed from there.

view overlooking the picnic tables near the Conservation Hut

We had lunch at a place called the Conservation Hut. It’s long been a rest stop for hikers as well as a place for the conservation society to meet. The building is pretty nice for a place called a hut and they serve great food. It’s a bit tough to get a parking spot though because  it’s also a trailhead so not all the cars parked there will just stay long enough for a meal or a view and the lot isn’t all that big. We were lucky in that someone pulled out as we were pulling in, otherwise we would not have found a parking spot. It has nice views just like the other lookouts. Just below the restaurant there were a couple picnic tables for people who brought their own food or who were hiking through. The restaurant had both inside and outside tables.

view at Govetts Leap

There are trails all through the Blue Mountains, and many trailheads. Not all are always open. Some close due to landslides, others to flooding, bushfires, or storm damage, or even a fallen tree. Construction or improvements to the trailhead or trailhead parking areas can also temporarily close an area so it’s a good idea to check if the area you want to hike is open before setting out on a journey.

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Solarium on Quantum of the Seas

Posted on June 28, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

solarium

Some ships or cruise lines have certain features that stand out in excellence above what other similar ships have to offer. Such is with the solarium on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships. The solarium on these ships is an area with hot tubs and sometimes pools with lots of deck chairs to relax in, but it’s not outdoors like the typical cruise ship pool decks. Instead the solarium has glass walls all around the outer edges of the ship, offering protection from wind and weather as well as great views.

cruise ships love odd statues – even in the solarium

With all else being equal when deciding which ship to book, I’d choose one with a solarium over one without because when the ship has one that’s my favorite hangout. It’s not just me either. My husband likes them too, and my two nieces who cruised on the Quantum along with my sisters, mother, and I loved it too. My nieces called it the terrarium because lounging there reminded them of a lizard sunning itself on a rock in a terrarium.

cascading pools

While the exact design varies from ship to ship even within the same cruiseline, the stand-out features always there are the hot tubs and deck chairs. The Celebrity ships we’ve been on had a pool in theirs reminiscent of the sort found in pay-extra spa thermal suite areas on some other ships. That’s the best thing of all about the solarium, it’s not a place you have to pay extra to enjoy. It is for adults only, but open to any adult passengers on the ship at no extra charge.

lower pool

On Quantum of the Seas, the front area of the solarium, which was at the bow of the ship, spanned 3 decks with cascading pools starting with one on its highest deck, with a waterfall into the middle one, and then another waterfall into one lower down. That level also had a hot tub on either side of the pool. One level below that sported deck chairs around the floor-to-ceiling windows that went up the entire height of the room. Those front row chairs by the window were course the prime seating and always the first chairs taken, but we did get lucky enough to find space available in that front row occasionally.

top pool

The top floor of the solarium had the most things. Doors on either side of the ship offered entry, and rows of deck chairs lined the window on either side with additional deck chairs in more rows behind them. It also had some basket-weave style covered pods that were big enough for two people.

No saving deck chairs!

Some of these deck chairs sported bright pink additions saying that saving deck chairs is not allowed. This seemed much more effective than the single sign at the entry found on deck areas of most cruise ships. Towels left on chairs in this solarium generally belonged to someone in the vicinity who had just temporarily left their chair rather than to someone who staked it out all day in case they might want to use it at some point, which happens frequently on most ships. It can be nearly impossible to find an open chair on ships where people selfishly leave their towels all day on chairs they aren’t actively using.

bar in front of the bistro

At the top of the area at the front of the ship above the cascading pools the solarium had its own bar so people didn’t have to go far to find something to drink even if nobody came around asking if they wanted anything. That happened infrequently so it was nice to have it close by even if they didn’t have the ingredients to make a mango daiquiri. The space just behind the bar and between the rows of deck chairs on either side of the entry level was occupied by the Solarium Bistro. It held a small buffet open for lunch and dinner. The selection was smaller than the main buffet, but the venue was far less crowded. It was a nice place to go if you were hanging out in the solarium and got hungry, or if you wanted to avoid some of the more crowded eateries elsewhere on the ship.

Barbara found a pink duck in a planter in the solarium

There were lots of plants in little planters all around the solarium giving it somewhat of a greenhouse or tropical feel. Or some might say much like a terrarium! Planters all over the ship were a popular place for people to hide cruising ducks. My sister Barbara found a pink one in a little planter there. Cruising ducks are little rubber ducks that people bring to hide for other people to find. It’s a thing. People sometimes post about them on social media. Usually the duck has a tag that will say conquackulations you found me or something similar. Some mention specific sites where they’d love to see a posting of their duck on, but you don’t have to post anything if you don’t want to. The finder can keep the duck or hide it in a new location.

indoor pool in the room next to the solarium

Some people prefer outside decks, which all the ships with solariums also have so it’s nice to have that choice. Quantum went one step further. Besides having the adults-only solarium and outside pool deck, it also had an indoor pool in an area similar to the solarium that was open to all ages. On a ship sailing to Alaska indoor pool areas are a really nice thing to have.

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Hits and Misses on Wonder of the Seas

Posted on June 21, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Wonder of the Seas in Saint Thomas

Everyone has their own idea of the best and worst features found on ships that they’ve sailed on. Those opinions are as varied as the passengers themselves so what one person thinks is a ship’s best feature another might consider the worst. These are the things I liked and didn’t like about Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas.

Hits

This ship class has the best cruise ship track ever. Often tracks on cruise ships aren’t much more than a painted line running a short distance through a crowded area on the top deck, exposed to the elements with no shade or shelter. A huge improvement over that is when the ship has a promenade deck that extends around the entire ship, which is a far better place for a run or walk than those useless top deck “tracks.” Even better on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships, the outside promenade not only runs completely around the ship, but is actually set up to be a track – even with separate lanes marked walk and run.

best cruise ship track ever

The dining room had a great head waiter. We were on My Time Dining so we did not have a set time, table, or waiter, but since we had dietary considerations the head waiter said to ask for his section and personally took care of our meals.

gluten and lactose free fried chicken dinner on Wonder of the Seas

It’s a big ship, but was divided into distinctive neighborhoods each with their own different vibe and offering of things to do. Some areas are typical to what can be found on other ships, but places like Central Park and the Boardwalk are quite unique to Royal’s Oasis and Icon class ships.

adults only solarium

The adults-only solarium is a great hangout, and a great alternative to outside deck chairs for people who want a place to relax out of the sun, wind, or weather. This glassed-in area has its own hot tubs, bar, towel station, and even a little restaurant as well as rows of deck chairs. It was our favorite hang-out spot.

window and balcony cabins above Central Park

Most ships have inside cabins and outside cabins, but this one has inside cabins with a view. Most also have balconies, though there are some with windows instead. These cabins mainly overlook either Central Park or the Boardwalk, which are interior areas that are open to the sky. There are also a few cabins with windows overlooking the Royal Promenade, an interior area of shops and eateries resembling a city street. We had a balcony cabin in Central Park, which has gardens with real live plants. We actually used this balcony more than we ever have oceanside ones as it was more sheltered. It almost always had at least some shade, and never got wet beyond the railing even when it rained.

Central Park view balcony on the Wonder

Our cabin came with an attentive steward who was prompt with cleanings and happy to assist if anything else was needed like a bucket of ice or on arrival a bathrobe. The cabin shower had a clothesline, which I normally wouldn’t even mention since that is standard on most cruise ships. I thought they all had one until sailing on Symphony of the Seas, where there was none to be found in our cabin. I was glad to see that Wonder did have it since it is the same ship class and a newer ship meaning they have not eliminated those from their ships entirely.

Central Park view cabin on Wonder of the Seas

Our cabin also had 3 Outlets and 6 USB ports, which is a great improvement over some of the older ships that have one outlet and no USB ports. It also had lots of storage space and plenty of hangers without having to ask the steward for more. We got some loyalty perks even though our tier in Royal isn’t all that high although I did still have to ask for a bathrobe even though my current loyalty point level is supposed to include one. It was already available for the asking when I was at lower levels so that particular perk didn’t really help any. At least there were a few others.

Golden Room tiny non-smoking casino

There was a tiny little non-smoking casino called the Golden Room. Since there was nothing advertising what it was and it only ever said Golden Room on deck plans a lot of people probably never even knew it existed since you had to wander in to find out what it was. It was just slot machines and a few table games, but at least it was there. They probably would have got more business on the table games if they lowered the minimum bet to something reasonable as they were ridiculously high – and the tables were empty when we were there, though there were people using slot machines.

zip line

There are lots of fun things to do onboard. This ship definitely has more than most when it comes to things to do. It has a zipline, rock climbing walls, mini-golf, waterslides, a flowrider, play areas for small kids, 10-deck dry slides, a carousel, and of course all the things ships normally have like pools, hot tubs, arcades, daily activities, shows, and kids clubs. Also pong-pong tables and shuffleboard. And not to forget the aforementioned track as well as a gym and spa.

pizza at Sorrentos

There are a lot of different places to eat scattered about the ship, and quite a few of them don’t cost anything extra.

Wonder of the Seas docked in St Thomas

They get people on and off the ship quickly and efficiently in ports in spite of it being such a large ship.

ice show

In addition to the regular sort of cruise ship theater shows, this ship also has an ice skating area where they have an ice show, and an AquaTheater with a water show. The ice and water shows are definitely worth watching.

Misses

Although it was the Port Canaveral’s fault rather than the ship’s, the initial boarding on this ship was our worst cruise ship boarding experience ever. It was extremely disorganized with early arrivals shuffled off to the side rather than being allowed into the already marked and set up, but empty lines while people who came later were allowed to line up first. Even later arrivals were allowed to board right away while people who had already waited hours stood in unmoving lines marked for long-since-past boarding times watching people who had just got there go by with nobody even checking what their scheduled boarding time was.

buffet on Wonder of the Seas

Every Royal ship we have been on prior to this one had an entire section of gluten-free food in the buffet. This ship had no gluten free section in the buffet at all and not a lot of gluten-free items available there either. The buffet usually only had 1 gluten free dessert offering, which was also sugar free and covered in dairy. A lot of people with gluten issues also have problems with dairy, but sugar-free is mostly a whole different segment of the population and artificial sweeteners are a problem for some people with other food sensitivities. As far as gluten-free food goes, this ship was a disappointment all around. While Symphony had made all sorts of special desserts for us in the dining room, always had several gluten-free options in the promenade café, and a whole gluten-free section in the buffet, Wonder had no gluten-free items in the café and though they did make gluten-free dinners in the dining room, the chef would not make any gluten-free desserts.

dining room

Although the ship had a 3-deck dining room, there was no dining space reserved for My Time dining. Instead they had an early seating in the dining room where My Time dining took place so though it was said to start at 6:30, the reservations they recommended making were not available before 8pm. It turned out best not to make reservations at all. Going down early enough to snag a table that someone in the early seating didn’t show up for that night worked out best.

Internet was way too expensive.  We normally get an internet package so we can keep in contact with our housesitter and whoever is taking care of our businesses while we are away, but the price on this ship was so ridiculously high we just had to wait until we were in port to make contact.

good thing I brought my own shampoo & conditioner

Luckily I always bring some shampoo and conditioner because you never know what you will find onboard. Sometimes they have decent bath products and sometimes they don’t. This one had all-in-one shampoo/body wash and no conditioner. There was also no kleen-x box dispenser in the bathroom. This was the first ship we’ve been on that did not provide tissues.

Prices onboard were expensive for pretty much anything.

Smoking was allowed in the main casino. It was a plus that they tried to contain it with doors, but a definite miss because the doors that were supposed to contain the smoke within the casino were way too sensitive. They opened every time anyone walked past them whether that person was inside or outside of the casino, even if they didn’t get anywhere close to the door. Since those doors were next to elevators and the closest bathroom to the dining room they spent more time open than shut when a lot of people were coming and going from meals, letting out a big cloud of toxic smoke each time they opened. Some outside doors on the ship had to be touched to open, which is what the casino doors needed to prevent that problem.

beach pool

Typical of all cruise ships, there are signs saying that reserving deck chairs is not allowed and that items left unattended will be picked up, yet if you actually want to use a one more deck chairs are occupied by towels than people. Some of those towels stay there all day without a person ever coming along to actually use the chair, yet nobody from the crew ever picks them up. On this ship they didn’t even seem to pick up used glasses and things around the chairs more than once every few hours. The glasses were all over the floor next to and under the chairs because there were no little tables between deck chairs for placing drink cups.

Dining room menus did not have the usual markings indicating gluten or dairy free, healthy, or vegetarian items that are normally there on cruise ship menus regardless of which ship or cruise line you are sailing with. Royal Caribbean is usually one of the best when it comes to providing alternative options so this ship was pretty disappointing in the food department after the standards set by our previous cruises on Royal Caribbean. Hopefully that was due to whoever was chef on the Wonder at the time of our sailing and not a lowering of Royal Caribbean’s standards.

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Balcony Cabin on the Noordam

Posted on June 14, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Noordam balcony cabin 7020

There are a lot of articles that will tell you where to find the best cabin location on a cruise ship, but really it’s a matter of opinion. One person’s choice location could be another person’s worst option. For instance if you want convenience a cabin near the elevators is a great choice, but if you want quiet far away from elevators works much better. To reduce the amount of the ship’s motion you feel booking low and to the center is the most stable. While cabins near the center are considered more premium by the cruiselines, they also consider higher up better, opposite to where you feel less movement. If you like to be close to the food the back of the ship is the place to be because most ships have both the dining room and the buffet at the stern. Meanwhile if you’d rather be near the spa or gym those are often found near the bow on many vessels. Near the stern you might hear engine noise or feel vibrations from it, but if you have a balcony right on the stern you get the wake view. At the bow you’ll hear when they drop anchor, particularly in the lower-level cabins. Low level bow cabins can also be noisy in rough seas, sometimes sounding and feeling like the ship is bouncing over logs when it’s really just waves. Those same cabins are great for low-to-the water porthole or window views though. We tend to like cabins near the bow because that’s where you’re most likely to spot flying fish as they flee the ship when it moves through the water where they were.

view of the port side docking station from our balcony

Our cabin on the Noordam was close to the bow, just a few rooms back from the bridge on the next deck down. We could see people on the bridge when they came out to the docking station on that side.

standard bathroom for balcony or oceanview cabins

The room was average size for a balcony cabin other than on Holland America you get a bathtub rather than just a shower in everything other than inside cabins. Which is quite nice even if you never actually take a bath because the clothesline is as long as a bathtub that way rather than just crossing a small shower. Plus there is lots of room to string more lines if you bring them. It has some structure on both sides for attaching extra clotheslines, which was especially useful on this ship as the shower walls were not magnetic enough to hold a hook when the line was full of wet laundry. Opposite of some ships where the shower is more magnetic than the walls. Having the extra space of a tub is very useful not only for hanging wet swimming suits, but also for doing your own laundry in the bathroom sink on long cruises if you don’t want to pay for the crew to wash your clothes since there are no self-serve guest laundries onboard the Noordam.

bed

The cabin had a bed which can be set as one or two as is normal for cruise ships. It had 3 closets, but no drawers with available storage space other than a couple small ones in each nightstand. There was a large drawer under the foot of each bed, but since they were full of spare supplies for the room steward that didn’t count as space to store our things. The room had a small couch and table, and a desk with a chair.

bath products

Besides a bathtub with a shower, the bathroom had a full range of bath products with separate shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower and liquid soap and hand lotion by the sink. Many ships have gone to just one useless all-in-one product in the shower and no hand lotion these days so it was nice to have a full range of products.

triple closets

There were bathrobes in the closet without having to ask for them, another thing that used to be pretty standard on a lot of ships, but isn’t anymore. As an added bonus there was a free beach bag waiting on the bed at arrival. There was also a little sheet you could fill out for the steward with requests for things like more hangers or towels, ice morning and/or night, and cleaning service once or twice daily. It also had options for having the beds changed if they were set the opposite of what you wanted as one or two. Later in the cruise they left everyone a second Holland America beach bag.

muster drill on the TV on boarding day

There was a large flat screen TV on the wall opposite the bed and a couple hooks on the wall for hanging things. We bring magnetic hooks to get more hanging space. Also a shelf under the TV where paperwork could be stored, but not anything much thicker than paper. On arrival there were mini bar items on the desk and in the refrigerator that are charged if you use them, but the steward removed them at our request. We always ask for removal of the mini bar items so we can use that space for our own things.

balcony

The balcony was standard size and had two chairs and a small table. Each chair had a footstool that fits under the chair if you don’t want to use it or have it in the way. The chairs backs could be set to recline so with that and the footstool it was something like a deck chair, though it could also just be a chair. That’s pretty handy on a balcony that doesn’t have room for both. It did have room to use a footstool with the chair so definitely not the smallest balcony we’ve had since we’ve had one that had no footstools or space to put them.

flying fish (internet photo)

We saw quite a few flying fish from that balcony when the ship was underway. Also some dolphins while anchored in Kona. In Brisbane we saw a big blue jellyfish, several turtles, a couple pelicans, and a bunch of other birds from our balcony. In Sydney we could see the opera house and all of Circular Quay, but had to go out to the back deck of the ship to see the famous harbor bridge. We were on the port side of the ship, which was facing port at most of our port stops so there was always something to see.

we saw dolphins from our balcony

Noordam is an old enough ship that the air system isn’t individual to each cabin. You can turn the airflow up or down, but you can’t turn it off. The large vent over the bed is quite noisy at night. There was a bit of wind whistling through the balcony door as well the first night, but once we mentioned it to the steward he had maintenance come out to fix it. About halfway through the cruise they apparently forgot they had already fixed it and came out when we weren’t in the room and fixed it again, which did keep the outside handle from moving around as much, but made the wind howl through it like it had before so they had to fix it a third time.

ships tend to have more outlets & USB ports than they used to, but it still doesn’t hurt to bring extras

There were 4 regular American outlets to plug stuff in above the desk and a USB port at either side of the bed above the nightstand as well as one at the desk. I had a 3 outlets on one plug adapter that increased our outlets a bit more, and I always bring a clock that has a couple USB ports so we were good with plenty of places to charge things.

we left something extra for the stewards along with the tip when disembarking

Overall it’s a pretty standard size cabin as balcony cabins on cruise ships go. Bigger than some since this one had both a couch and a desk. We left 3 ducks hidden in the room for future passengers when we disembarked. One in a small bag in a cupboard under the desk that held a mirror, so somebody will probably find that one fairly quickly. One behind the TV, which can be seen if standing close to the wall while hanging something on the hook next to the TV so someone could find it if they happen to look that way while in the right spot. The last one was under a band around a curtain next to the bed that is just there for decoration and doesn’t go far enough for anyone to bother using it so it may be there for awhile. We also left a couple ducks and a towel owl on the table with a tip for the stewards. We brought one big sparkly duck specifically for that purpose, but since the stewards worked as a team of two we left another duck as well. A lot of the crew like finding ducks.

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Balcony Cabin on Enchanted Princess

Posted on June 7, 2024 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Enchanted Princess in Tortola, BVI

On a 20-day cruise on Enchanted Princess, which consisted of two 10-day back-to-back cruises, we spent the first half in a standard balcony cabin and the second in a mini suite. I’m very glad it wasn’t the other way around. The balcony cabin seemed sufficient while we were in it, but if we’d moved there after spending time in the far more spacious mini-suite it would have felt tiny.

standard balcony cabin C202

As balcony cabins on cruise ships go, the standard ones on Enchanted Princess are on the small side compared to the size of balcony cabins on some other cruise ships. On many ships balcony cabins have at least a small couch and a little table, but this one had neither. It had one chair at a desk, but no additional seating in the room. Deluxe balcony cabins on this ship have a small couch in place of the desk so they gain a place to sit, but they lose the 3 drawers the desk has for storage.

large open closet and small closet with door

The entry area of the room is a small hallway with the bathroom on the left. Some rooms are mirror image of the one we had so it could be on the right. Once you pass the wall to the bathroom the area opens up into a little alcove with the door to the bathroom on one side, a large open closet opposite that, and a small closet with a door on the end. Beyond that is the main room, which consists of the bed which can be set as one or two, two nightstands, a desk, and a little counter with a small refrigerator in a cupboard underneath and 3 open shelves on the side.

corner unit has a refrigerator and some shelves

There is plenty of storage space in the room for two people. Each nightstand has 2 drawers and there are shelves in the enclosed closet as well as one above the hanging bar in the open closet. The open closet is quite spacious. There are also 3 drawers in the desk. There is space enough under the beds for suitcase storage.

bathroom

The bathroom has 3 small shelves in one corner by the sink, and one long shelf below the sink. The shower has a small clothesline you can pull across. There’s two hooks on the inside of the bathroom door and one hook by the door to the room for hanging things, but we increase our hanging space in the cabin with magnetic hooks.

artwork above the bed

Artwork in the room consisted of one picture above the bed. Bathrobes were not included in the cabin when checking in, but were brought upon request. You can also have ice brought daily on request, and choose whether you want one or two daily cleanings. The steward put the ice bucket in the refrigerator. We had not seen stewards do that before, but it was a good idea because the ice lasted much longer that way. The closet has hangers, but if there are not enough you can request more from the steward. If you send anything out for the crew to wash it comes back with additional hangers, but this ship has self-serve launderettes so you can save a lot of money by washing your own clothes.

random door pad

Outside the door there’s a little computer pad that displays the first names of the cabin occupants along with their loyalty status in the form of a tiny picture of a medallion in the color of the occupant’s medallion. The pads also have dots that light up with a touch for privacy or room cleaning. When you approach the room it senses your medallion. The door unlocks automatically and the pad welcomes you to the room. It actually says welcome with your name and photo. The bit that says touch medallion is there in case the automatic unlock doesn’t work so you can unlock the door by placing your medallion where it shows.

medallion in a waterproof bracelet

Princess uses wearable medallions instead of the key cards used by most cruise lines. These are especially handy if you get a waterproof bracelet to put them in rather than hanging them around your neck as they come standard. Bracelets and other medallion holder options are available onboard or from Princess pre-cruise, but you can get the waterproof bracelets cheaper on Amazon. (The one in the photo is an Amazon bracelet.)

bathroom products

In the cabin bathroom there are jars of liquid hand soap and hand lotion by the sink. The shower has shower gel and a shampoo/conditioner combo. They at least did not combine all 3, but since there was not separate shampoo and conditioner I was glad that I had brought my own. The lotion was a nice addition since not all cruise lines provide that anymore.

cabin TV with the safety video

The mattress was quite comfortable. There is a TV on the wall opposite the bed. It has options for different TV shows and movies you can choose from as well as a bow cam channel and options for other info. On boarding day you can watch the required safety video either there or in the app on your phone.

balcony on Enchanted Princess

The small balcony is furnished with 2 chairs and a tiny table. The backs of the chairs have several settings for somewhat of a recline, but there are no footstools to stretch your feet out on. The balcony railing is pretty close though. There were extended balcony cabins below our room. Their balconies went out farther than ours so we could look down on the outer part of them. Their chairs did include footstools, and their balconies had plenty of space to use them.

view of ships docked in Fort Lauderdale and the extended balconies below our cabin

Our cabin was near the bow so we saw lots of flying fish whenever the ship passed through areas where they were while we were out on the balcony. Sometimes there were birds circling around the ship going after flying fish that the ship scared up out of the water. Mostly frigates, but sometimes other kinds.

for the steward at the end of the cruise

At the end of the cruise we left a little something extra for our steward along with his tip – a towel turtle and a big sparkly duck. The stewards did not make any towel animals on this cruise.

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