How To Get Free Spa On A Cruise

Posted on March 4, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
cruise ship spa

Legend Spa Entrance

All the major cruise ships have spas. For the most part, nothing at these spas comes cheap. While some passengers can afford to enjoy the spa services, cruisers on a budget tend to spend their limited dollars elsewhere. If you like what the spa has to offer, but not the price, there are ways to get in for less – or even for nothing.

cruise ship spa

Dry float bed on the Splendor

On boarding day cruise ships often have spa tours. Many times this just involves a guided walk through the spa stopping in different rooms to hear about what they have to offer. Occasionally though they might have something free. One ship had chairs set up outside the spa where they gave free hot rock massages to entice passengers to take the tour. Another gave out small product samples free to anyone on the spa tour. Some ships have a dry float bed. If they haven’t got anyone modeling it they might ask for a volunteer. If that opportunity ever arises for you, take it before someone else does because lying on that dry float bed feels wonderful even if it only lasts for the few minutes of their speech.

cruise ship spa treament

spa treatment model on the Splendor

A lot of people book back to back cruises. When doing so, on the first cruise it never hurts to ask at the spa if they need models for the spa tour on the next cruise. If they do, put your name on the list and you might get a free spa treatment if you don’t mind being on display for all the people walking through on the tour. If you are open to wherever they put you you have a better chance of getting in, but not so much chance of getting the treatment of your choice.

spa pool

Westerdam mineral pool

While on the spa tour they often offer special deals. Those particular deals probably won’t come up later in the cruise. Every day usually has a different offer of something for a lower than the usual price, though if they had a really spectacular deal on the tour you may not see anything quite that good again. At the end of the spa tour normally everyone gets a raffle ticket. One of those must be present to win types where you come back that night in a crowded room where a few lucky people get their tickets drawn for free treatments.

cruise ship spa

couples massage room on the Westerdam

Of course booking a spa cabin is another way to get free spa privileges. Spa cabins usually come with free spa products, use of the thermal suite if the ship has one, and priority on other treatments. One thing spa cabins don’t come with though is a budget price.

heated ceramic chairs

people try the Westerdam’s ceramic chairs on the spa tour

Many ships have thermal suites, which usually include heated ceramic chairs, a mineral pool, sauna, and steam room. Thermal suite packages for the duration of the cruise are often offered on the spa tour. While the price for the full cruise pass is a lot less per day than buying a one time visit each day would cost, it’s often too high for a limited budget. If you really want to have the thermal package, but would like a lower price, go back and check a couple days into the cruise and if they still have space available you might be able to get the pass for less since those days have already passed. It’s hard to beat relaxing on the heated ceramic chairs. If you’ve never sat on one, give it a try at the spa tour on your next boarding day where you can sit in one for free. They are so much more comfortable than they look. Just getting to sit in that chair for a few minutes for free makes taking the spa tour worthwhile even if you have no intentions of booking anything.

hair salon on a cruise ship

Cruise ship spas include a hair salon – this one on the Legend

Cruise ships always have activities scheduled each day to entertain the guests. Watch the schedule for spa events. Sometimes they have something called a ladies pamper party where people get a chance to try some of their products for free. Mostly they try and sell you stuff, but they may also pick a couple people a free haircut or makeover and even if you don’t get chosen for anything major you at least get to try the free samples. They also may have offers at a lower price than people would get without attending their events.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Carnival, Holland America, Legend, Shipboard Life, Splendor, Westerdam | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Afternoon Tea on the Legend

Posted on February 26, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
cruise ship at the dock

Legend in Melbourne

Whenever we’ve gone to the afternoon teas on Carnival ships before they seemed like one of the best kept secrets on the ship. Each tea we’ve attended had a different selection of excellent treats found nowhere else on the ship, and a small number of people in attendance.

cruise ship tea

Sheri chooses her tea

Apparently Australians like their tea far more than Americans do. Afternoon tea on the Legend drew quite a crowd. Carnival serves afternoon tea at 3pm on sea days, with the location published in the Fun Times daily newsletter delivered to each cabin the previous night.

tea food

tea biscuits with cream and jam and other goodies

Just before 3:00 a small crowd gathered outside the locked door to the dining room. When the time came the door opened and people filed in, following the host to the prepared tables near the windows at the stern of the ship. The crew seated guests in an orderly fashion flowing from one table to the next as the line moved along. More people streamed in once the initial crowd got seated. Soon they filled an area several times as large as we’ve ever seen used for afternoon tea before.

cruise ship tea

Tea service on the Legend

Waiters visited each table with a selection of teas, followed by teapots of hot water. Once people stopped trickling in the waiters rolled out the tea carts. Starting with a cart at each end of the occupied area of the dining room, the waiters worked their way toward the middle of the tables filled with people. At each table they stopped to offer the occupants their choice of any or all of the delectable selection of treats available on the cart. Even my 3 and 5 year old Australian grandkids enjoyed the tea, each one finding treats to their liking and having their tea the Aussie way – with milk.

treats

goodies on the tea cart

I’ve heard some people don’t go to the teas because they don’t want to dress up, but they needn’t worry because the tea doesn’t seem to have a dress code. People come as they are. A few dressed up, most came casual in jeans or shorts. People are thinking of High Tea when they think of it as fancy. Afternoon tea is a casual affair. The food is good and they do have coffee available for people who aren’t into drinking tea.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Australia, Cruise Food, Legend, Shipboard Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cruise Ship Decor on Holland America Veendam

Posted on February 19, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
cruise ship at the dock

Veendam in Sydney, Nova Scotia

Launched in 1996, and with some recent upgrades added, Holland America’s Veendam has a timeless decor with some old-fashioned accents. I don’t know if it has an official theme, but if I had to name it I’d call it old world charm. Holland America runs a fleet of midsize ships with some larger than Veendam, though it’s not their smallest.

Showroom at Sea - the theater from the balcony

Showroom at Sea – the theater from the balcony

Veendam has teak decks and a two million dollar art collection displayed around the ship. The lowest level of the atrium, often a center of activity on cruise ships, seems more of a quiet place on the Veendam. Probably due to the lack of central elevators or any designated venues on the lower level.

cruise ship art

crystal sculpture in the Veendam Atrium

A mostly blue crystal sculpture snakes up 3 stories high from the atrium’s center to the open area of the two floors above and a stairway leads upward two levels to the front and shore excursion desks up one level and the shops on the next.

china for decoration

China Hutch on the Veendam

Décor on the Veendam looked nice without being overdone. Walking about the ship passengers could find different works of art and other interesting things to see. The Ocean Bar had a china hutch filled with lovely blue-patterned china, an old-fashioned touch my mother would have loved had she been on that cruise. It also had a display with a number of colorful glass sculptures in an artist’s representation of sea life and lots of comfortable seating where passengers could enjoy the view through the large windows.

Friday

um, what day is it?

The ship did not have any elevator art, but the elevators did have carpets that changed daily with the day of the week. All anyone had to do was ride an elevator – or even just look inside one – if they forgot what day it was as the carpet would let them know.

cruise ship award

not the Veendam – this one is a plaque

One stairway had photos of various renditions of the Veendam throughout the years, starting with a sailing ship on the lowest floor and ending with the current Veendam on the highest level. They didn’t have quite enough ships for every level so the bottom had a plaque of a sailing ship that rather blended in with the ship theme and the top by the spa had a more spa-ish picture of a lady. The other  stairway displayed a collection of plaques presented to the ship. This smaller sized ship had just fore and aft stairs and elevators and not the central ones found on larger vessels, which is why the atrium had no elevators.

cruise ship dining room

Inside the Rotterdam Dining room on the Veendam

Dining room décor featured lights resembling old fashioned style lanterns and flowers in other light fixtures and on large stands.

cruise ship bar

Martini Bar

Besides the lanai cabins with sliding doors to the promenade deck, the new upgrades included Mix, a three-bar area where people could easily move from one to the other for champagne, martinis or spirits and ales.  While the three are interconnected, each one has its own style and décor.

cruise ship cabin

oceanview cabin

We found the rooms bigger than we expected on a smaller ship. Our Oceanview cabin on the Veendam seemed larger than the veranda room we had on a previous cruise on the Westerdam.

yes ships have libraries

library

Hallways throughout the ship often had pictures of maritime scenes, old world scenes probably of Holland, or sometimes flowers. We found a picture of strawberries in a convenient place to use as a marker for locating our room.

cruise ship art

old style statue of boy and fish

Cruise ships always have statues and the Veendam is no exception. I thought the statues on this ship looked nicer than those found on some other ships. Most were intricately sculptured and actually looked like whatever they intended to represent, often done in old world style which fit in with other décor on the ship.

places to hang out

comfortable seating at the Ocean Bar

Overall the décor on the Veendam was quite pleasant.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Holland America, Veendam | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

How to Fold Kissing Towel Fish

Posted on February 14, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger

How to Fold Kissing Towel Fish

easy towel animals

Kissing Towel Fish

Supplies Needed to Make Kissing Towel Fish

2 Hand Towels

Eyes

How to Fold Kissing Towel Fish Video with Bagus from MSC Divina

How to Make Kissing Towel Fish

free towel animal folding instructions

Lay towel out flat and fold one end down about 1/3 the length of the towel

Start with one hand towel. Lay towel flat and fold one short side over about 1/3 of the way over the towel for standard fish. You can change the size and shape of your fish by folding over more or less of the towel.

towel origami

fold down both corners of the folded end under the towel

Fold both corners of the towel under from the center of the folded end.

towel art

Scrunch in the middle to make the towel fish-shaped

Scrunch the middle of the towel and shape fish and fish’s tail as desired.

towel creations

Repeat all steps with second towel

Repeat with second towel and set the fish together in kissing position.

towel fish

Add one eye to each fish to resemble one side of an upright fish

Add eyes. Use one eye each fish if you want them to be one side of a regular fish and two eyes if you want them to be the top side of flat fish.

free towel folding instructions

use two eyes to resemble top of flatfish

Folding more or less of the towel in the initial fold creates different shaped fish.

create your own towel fish

Folding more of the towel in the initial fold makes a shorter fatter fish like this pink one

For more towel animal folding instructions please visit My Cruise Stories Towel Animal Page.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Towel Animals | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Port Day On the Ship

Posted on February 12, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
cruise ships at the dock

Breeze and Dream in St. Martin

Some people spend their entire cruise on board, never getting off the ship in port. We’ve always done something, but thought this cruise to maybe stay on board in Puerto Rico as we’ve been there several times already. In St. Martin though we had plans. On our first visit there we found a sleepy little port where none of the shops were open in the early morning before our planned sail and snorkel excursion. The second visit we had no problem walking to the taxi stand and catching a ride to Maho Beach where jets fly directly overhead on their way to the runway across the street.

St Martin

View of Philipsburg from the ship

This trip I researched online and found low priced ziplines at Lotiere Farm (which the folks at the taxi stand pronounced Lottery). They also have hiking trails and a pool. Carnival Breeze pulled in next to Carnival Dream, which had passengers streaming down the dock. The next pier over held Carnival Sunshine and Disney Fantasy, both appearing to have already unloaded most of their guests. It doesn’t pay to pull in fourth out of four large ships at a port where we had previously never seen more than 2. I’m not sure they even had dock space for more than 2 on our last visit as I don’t recall the second pier existing at that time.

things to do on a cruise ship

Sport Square has mini golf and other games

Finally getting through the crowd to the gangway, we joined the throng of passengers pouring off the Breeze, which blended into those still exiting the Dream. Talking to one of them we found out we would see the Dream again in Puerto Rico. Sunshine came to all the same ports as Breeze that week.

Unlike our last visit where we just walked up to the open taxi stand and got on a van, this time it swarmed with people. Locals spaced around the stand would tell people where to wait depending upon where they wanted to go. One told us to go to the center, another pointed to a post and said to stand there. Then they proceeded to ignore us while loading van after van to go to other places. After about 20 minutes of standing there we gave up as the ziplines are first come first served and we were already behind the crowd from 3 other ships. At the information booth they said people could get an individual taxi in town, but that would require joining the que waiting in a long line for the water taxi to town so we wouldn’t have much chance of getting on a first come first served zip line if we had to go through all that just to get there. Another time if we ever think of going there again we would either try and find other people on the ship who wanted to go too so we could fill a van or else go straight to town where we could get a taxi.

waterworks

Waterslides on Carnival Breeze

Looking around at the crowd we rather thought anywhere we might try and visit would be too crowded to see much so we passed on the island tours and snorkeling/airplane watching tours offered by people walking around with signs on shore, or on a van to any of the island’s beaches. We thought about doing the snorkel & airplane thing where they would stop somewhere for snorkeling and then park out on the water by Maho beach for airplane watching, but we were dressed for ziplines not water sports and didn’t want to go back to the ship to change and then get off again. We’ve taken the water taxi to town before. The town has a nice beach, shops, and a casino. People can take segway tours there or rent jet skis. They had plenty of things we could have chosen to do as a plan B, but we’d kind of wanted to spend a port day on a ship for awhile anyway and decided we’d rather do that.

no crowd

Lido Pool without many people

On a nearly empty ship there are no lines for waterslides, very few people in pools and hot tubs, and no lines at the buffet or any of the popular food places like Guy’s Burgers or the Blue Iguana Cantina. Even the Mongolian Wok on the Lido had no line. Sport Square with mini golf, pool tables, and other games sat wide open. Most deck chairs sat empty for the taking so we spent a pleasant day just enjoying the ship. It’s also a good time to do laundry with no lines for washing machines in the launderette. Throughout the day more and more people showed up on the pool deck, but still far less crowded than a sea day. I wouldn’t mind spending a port day on board again.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Breeze, Caribbean, Carnival, Shipboard Life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Back to Back From Different Ports

Posted on February 5, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
Celebrity cruises

Celebrity Infinity

Lots of people take back to back cruises, often referred to as B2B. For anyone who flies to the port taking two cruises B2B means a cost savings on airline fees over doing the cruises at two separate times. If you stay in the same room on the same ship it’s easy. Just meet with the rest of the B2B folks at the time and place you’re told and they give you a new ship card for the next cruise and take everyone through customs quickly in a group just before boarding starts. There always seems to be a bit of a delay though due to one or two people who won’t get off the ship slowing down the process. Everyone has to wait until the stragglers get rounded up and sent on their way before B2B group can go through customs and get back on the ship.

lots of space

Our room on Celebrity Infinity – Inside Stateroom 3042

Meanwhile at the port officials anxiously await that zero count of passengers on the ship so they can send the B2B group through and the boarding process can begin. Then they can start to empty the crowded room full of restless people who all showed up long before the scheduled boarding time in hopes of getting on the ship just a little bit earlier, some of them not realizing how long it takes to get the previous batch off.

Sometimes people change rooms for the second leg of their B2B cruise. Moving to a different room means packing up and either taking your luggage to the new room or having a steward move it for you. If you let the steward at the new room know what’s up likely they will clean your new room as soon as the former occupants leave. It may be ready by the time you are required to be out of your first room, but if the steward is not there to open the door you won’t be able to get in until after passing through customs and obtaining your new room card.

cruise ship

Carnival Ecstasy

We recently tried a different approach to a B2B.  While ending one cruise and starting another the same day, not only did we not have the same cabin, we switched to a different ship from a different cruiseline at a different port.

Our 17- Day Panama Canal Cruise on Celebrity Infinity started in San Francisco and worked its way down the coast to Panama where it spent a day cruising through the canal. Once on the Caribbean side it sailed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Though a hurricane had passed through the area just days before, the storm moved north several days ahead of us and had no effect on our itinerary and none other than weather on the ports. Our weather wasn’t bad, just cooler and cloudier than usual in a couple places. We had pretty smooth sailing the whole way so we got quite lucky as some cruise ships in the area a few days earlier had itinerary changes to avoid the hurricane. Some experienced rough seas and sadly a cargo ship was lost. The short 4-day cruise on the Ecstasy went back to the Caribbean where the aftermath of the hurricane was evident with some rainy weather and in Cozumel the normally crystal clear water had large amounts of broken bits of seaweed floating near the shore.

bigger than average cruise ship cabin

Our room on Carnival Ecstasy – Porthole Cabin R4

When disembarking a cruise ship passengers can choose to leave their luggage outside their cabin the night before where the crew will take it off the ship. Guests then pick it up in the port so they don’t have to carry it off the ship. Each person has a number assigned to disembark when it is called. Luggage is put out in batches according to those numbers. Others take the self-assist route and bring their own luggage off the ship with them. There is a third option for people with late planes to catch where they can take an excursion on their way to the airport and pick their luggage up there. Sometimes there is also a luggage express service offered that will deliver luggage directly to the airport without taking an excursion on the way. A fleet of taxis await any disembarking passengers who have not made arrangements for other transportation.

cruise ship launderette

after 17 days on a ship without them we went straight to Ecstasy’s self-serve laundry shortly after boarding

We took the self-assist route, which gives most people their earliest disembarking option since carrying your luggage with you means there is no wait for luggage to get put out in the port. People always gather as close as they can to the exit and line up long before the time to leave actually starts because that’s just how people are. They can actually slow down the disembarkation process if too many of them get in the way so ship’s crew does everything they can to keep passengers somewhere else. They can’t let anyone off until the ship clears customs. Once disembarkation started the Infinity’s lines moved fairly quickly and lines at customs hadn’t had time to gather many people yet so the whole process went quite a bit faster than we expected. We climbed into a waiting taxi and thought we may arrive in Miami before the doors even opened to let people into the port building.

An accident closing the express lanes and a traffic jam on the remaining freeway made for a long trip from Fort Lauderdale to Miami. We arrived while the ship was still disembarking, but after the doors to let arriving passengers in had opened so we did get to wait for embarkation inside the port rather than standing outside. The port had free wifi and since we had internet only occasionally in ports on the Infinity cruise we made use of the time to catch up on things.

Once all the departing guests leave the ship and it gets clearance for new guests to board they pile on in droves. Carnival Ecstasy had a couple weddings scheduled so those people got on first as they had limited time until all the non-sailing wedding guests had to leave. Passengers with priority boarding got on next, with the masses following close on their heels.

Carnival Conquest

cruise ship leaving Miami

It would have been much easier if the two ships were in the same port so we could just walk over from one ship to the next. The two ports are close enough to get from one to the other in between disembarkation from the first one and the end of the embarkation time for the second. Taking two cruises in a row from different ports worked out since ships arrive in the morning and leave late afternoon or evening.

Of course one can’t help but make comparisons when going straight from one ship to another. There are always things that are better and things that are worse on any ship. On the Infinity we loved the no smoking anywhere indoors policy and the indoor pool. The Ecstasy had water slides and launderettes.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Carnival, Celebrity, Ecstasy, Infinity, Shipboard Life, USA | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Things to do in Monterey

Posted on January 29, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
tender port

Tender in Monterey on the way back to the Infinity

Celebrity Infinity anchored in Monterey, California outside the marina in Monterey Bay. A short tender ride brought passengers to a floating dock with a ramp up to the pier. Passengers exit the tender right into Fisherman’s Wharf, one of Monterey’s tourist attractions. Buildings that once housed a wholesale fish market in Monterey’s sardine fishing heyday now have all sorts of cute little shops. Many contain restaurants, others things like souvenir or candy shops. One had a taffy machine where they made their own homemade taffy.

Shore excursions from the ship are an option in any port, but in Monterey there is plenty to do for any passengers who prefer to venture out on their own.

Monterey, California

Fisherman’s Wharf

One of the first buildings we passed offered whale watching tours. The little booth next to it had glass bottom boat rides for just $15. All along the pier signs in front of one shop or another offered whale watching or other boat tours for $40 or less.

At the end of the pier a left turn leads to the current commercial fishing pier. In the land area around the port locals had booths selling all sorts of things in Custom House Plaza on the day of our visit. Custom House near the land entry to the port was the first government building in California.  The plaza also has other historical buildings and a museum.

beach trail

trail from Fisherman’s Wharf to Cannery Row

A right turn at the end of the pier leads to a paved trail where once a railroad line ran to Cannery Row. A scenic walk down that path next to the shoreline brought us past rocks covered in harbor seals, cormorants, and seagulls. Another little cove had a rock pile covered in squabbling terns. Soon we came to a park where many scuba divers got ready to dive at world renowned San Carlos beach. The park also had a public restroom. Just beyond the park we came to Cannery Row.

beachside park

divers in the park getting ready to dive

This area where once canneries processed sardines now holds numerous tourist oriented shops and restaurants. Some rent things like diving gear, bicycles, kayaks or little pedal cars that can hold two people or a whole family. Guided tours are another option for kayaking in the bay. Walking down the street leads to numerous choices of things to do.

Monterey Bay

Sea Lions and Cormorants

We had thought about going to the famous Monterey Aquarium, but when we saw the line to get in snaking up the block we changed our minds and went back to the wharf for the glass bottom boat ride instead. If someone really wanted to see the aquarium they could probably bypass that line by taking a shore excursion from the ship that included a visit there.

cheap tour

Glass Bottom Boat named Little Mermaid at Fisherman’s Wharf

The glass bottomed boat took us out to see the sea lions on the breakwater and sea otters near the kelp beds. Then it skimmed slowly over kelp so passengers could look through the glass windows in the center of the craft. The water looked emerald green that day. Mostly we saw kelp, but now and then small fish swam into view.

Monterey Bay

seaweed and reflections of people in the glass bottom of the boat

Back on the pier at Fisherman’s wharf several little restaurants had free clam chowder samples. We tried a couple of them. One tasted very good and the other not so much.  I guess that just goes to show it’s a good idea to try before you buy a bowl clam chowder for lunch.

tourist attractions

Cannery Row

Cannery row has all manner of touristy things now, but in the past the canneries there canned sardines caught by commercial fishermen in the bay. The first cannery opened in 1902. Increased demand for canned sardines during World War 1 brought expansion with many new canneries opening up from 1916-1918. Two were destroyed in a 1924 fire from an explosion caused by lightning striking petroleum tanks. The canneries kept people employed through the depression era, turning sardines into fish meal and fertilizer. The industry expanded again from 1941-1945 during the second world war. John Steinback’s novel about the area called Cannery Row came out in 1945. The name Cannery Row was officially adopted 12 years later on what had formerly been called Ocean View Avenue.

things to do in Monterey

fun for rent on Cannery Row

By the 1950’s the heavily overfished bay ran out of sardines, shutting down the industry. Within a few years entrepreneurs started opening restaurants in former warehouses and in 1968 the Sardine Factory restaurant was the first in what is now restaurant row in the old canneries.

marine mammals

Sea Otter, Sea Lion, and Cormorants

It took nearly 40 years for sardines to return to the bay. The return of the fish brought a return of fishermen and another population decline leading to at least a temporary closure of the fishery. They do say that those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Celebrity, Infinity, Port Cities, Ports of Call, USA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Snorkeling with Tarpon at Grand Cayman

Posted on January 22, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
cruise ship at anchor

Carnival Splendor in Spotts Bay

Carnival Splendor approached Grand Cayman early one stormy November morning. Normally cruise ships visiting Grand Cayman anchor at Georgetown. With rain pouring down so heavily the area where ships anchor could not be seen from the nearby town and seas too stormy for tendering, the captain had two choices – move to the other side of the island or skip the port stop. He chose a safer anchorage in Spotts Bay.

Once the ship anchored safely, the announcement was made over the ship’s intercom system followed by a list of canceled shore excursions. Anything involving water would not happen that day. We had no official excursion scheduled, but had planned on snorkeling with tarpon in Georgetown.

Grand Cayman Island beach

beach at Spotts Bay

We took our time over breakfast in the Lido with other guests we had met on our first leg of the back to back cruise. The rain lightened up and eventually slowed to a light sprinkle. We decided we might as well take the tender to shore and if nothing else at least just take some photos and come back. Back at the room while getting ready we threw our snorkels and swimsuits in a backpack almost as an afterthought just in case.

By the time we met up with our friends and got to shore the rain had stopped. Soon the sun came out. Even before leaving the ship we could see a couple other ships on the other side of the island. They arrived later after the weather calmed down. Three ships total is not many ships for Grand Cayman, so either this was a really slow day or the rest of the ships that would have been there opted not to stop.

self-shading picnic table

trees growing through a very long picnic table

Spotts Bay had a tender pier in an area behind a chain link fence and not much else. It looked mainly like a residential area, with some pretty nice homes visible from the water. The beach near the dock had sand on the shore, but at the water’s edge the limestone formations most prolific near Hell lined the entire beach. An information booth and a couple large picnic tables with trees growing through them seemed like the only permanent structures there. Just outside the fence several local booths on trailers had set up to sell their wares and a number of vans and small buses waited to taxi passengers to Georgetown for $5 each.

interesting stores

inside Big Black Dick’s rum store (now called Blackbeard’s)

By then the clouds had vanished and the sun had started to shine brightly so we decided to go to Georgetown. A guy with a sign for Diamonds International said he had free rides for customers, or at least people who would look around the store. I’d have gone with that. Looking at jewelry for a free ride to town worked for me. Some of the people I was with did not want to walk too far if he meant the store on the side of town farthest from where we wanted to go so we went with the $5 bus instead. The bus passed a DI right near our goal and let us out in a little parking lot by the sea near the center of town, which was OK because one of our group wanted to visit the Big Black Dick’s rum store near where the bus let us off.  We had not heard of that store before, but apparently a lot of people from the ships go there. They have their own brand of rum and hot sauce and quite a following of people wanting their products. Since that trip they have changed their name to Blackbeard’s. They also have free rum cake samples from a booth on the outside of the store.

where to go in Grand Cayman

Paradise Restaurant

When anchored at Georgetown, whether you tender to the north or south dock, after reaching the sidewalk take a right and just walk down the street next to the water to get to the tarpon. One of Disney’s ships and Celebrity Reflections loomed large next to shore, the island tenders busily shuttling their passengers back and forth. After a short walk we reached Paradise Restaurant. This waterfront restaurant sits next to a tiny marine park. On shore it consists of a sign and a stairway to the sea. In the water it has a free snorkel area right at the shore. People from the restaurant feed the tarpon several times a day so they hang out right next to the shore there. Lots of smaller more colorful fish swim about just past where the tarpon like to stay.

big fish

tarpon

It’s free to use the marine park if you have your own snorkel gear. If not you can rent some just outside of the Paradise Restaurant. They also have lockers available and beach chairs for rent in an area next to the water as well. There’s restrooms inside the restaurant. Outside next to the snorkel rentals and lockers they have a dressing room/broom closet. They let us change in it for free, but since we neither bought food nor rented anything we gave the girl there a tip.

tarpon at Grand Cayman

tarpon swimming through the bubbles

One of our new friends sat at a table outside near the entrance to the marine park while the other 3 of us went in the water. The waves had calmed enough from the morning’s storm that other people were snorkeling out there. Getting in was a bit tricky as some sizeable waves would come crashing over the stairway. Timing it to enter as they receded worked to get in without getting dashed against the stairway or limestone formations at the water’s edge.

tropical fish

Sergeant Majors

Near shore where the tarpon hang out the water stayed fairly murky as waves constantly dashed over the shore and washed into the sea with a mess of bubbles and floaty bits of sand and things. Out a bit the water was calmer and clearer. I thought the snorkeling there was pretty easy, but the others bailed to shore fairly quickly. I came in soon after so they wouldn’t all have to just sit there waiting for me. Coming back in I worried about my camera getting dashed against the rock or cement stairs when a large wave raced toward shore. Knowing I could not get out quickly enough to avoid the wave with my underwater camera hanging from the wrist of my good arm, I held it up out of the water and  wrapped the other arm around the stairway railing while the huge wave crashed overhead. I still had the mask and snorkel on so as long as nothing bashed into the stairway or rocks a wave washing over me was not a concern. It receded and I got out before the next wave came in. On a calmer day getting in and out of the water there would be much easier and the water far more clear.

Snorkeling with Tarpon Video

We were glad that the weather calmed down enough to have a chance to swim with the tarpon, something we had wanted to do ever since our last visit to Grand Cayman when we discovered them while walking around town after taking an island tour.

tile art

Guy Harvey Picture

Nearby the tarpon on the other side of the street the famous fish painting artist Guy Harvey has a shop.  My husband loves his work and so does one of our friends so we went in to have a look.  You can get his paintings on canvas or tile as well as on belts or t-shirts.  I got a small tile painting of a sea turtle and some fish that hangs on my living room wall and reminds me of snorkeling in the Caribbean every time I look at it. We did not have to carry it with us. They shipped it to our home.

Grand Cayman tarpon

tarpon up close

Grand Cayman is a popular cruise ship port so it has a lot of options to choose from for things to do. Besides island tours the locals have taxis to Seven Mile beach. When the ship anchors in Georgetown the tenders dock downtown and as soon as you walk to shore you can find people with signs offering tours or rides. There’s also a number of shore excursions to choose from on the ship. On our first visit we went snorkeling over the Kittiwake shortly after a hurricane moved it slightly from the position where it had originally been sunk not long before.  Now that several years have passed it would be fun to go there again and see how much sea life has grown on the sunken ship.

More Blogs About Grand Cayman

Snorkeling over the USS Kittiwake

Grand Cayman

Island Tour

Grand Cayman Turtle Farm

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Ports of Call, Splendor | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Melbourne Adventure

Posted on January 15, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
cruise ships docked

Legend in Melbourne

Before our Australian cruise on the Carnival Legend our daughter, Sheri, asked other Australians what is good to do in Melbourne with kids. She got a lot of recommendations for Science Works. On the map it didn’t look too far from the cruise ship port. Getting off the boat we stopped by the information desk. They had brochures with suggestions for places to go that passengers could get to on their own, none of which included Science Works. The map showed a free tram loop in the city. The free zone did not extend all the way to the port. The kind lady there showed us where to go on the maps to find Science Works and recommended buying the myki pass, which covers busses, trains and trams. After looking at the line inside the port building, which probably had over 100 people in it, she said we could avoid the que by walking to the end of the dock and out to the tram station where we would find a nearby store that sold the public transportation passes.

Melbourne public transportation

light rail tram in Melbourne

That bit of advice saved us a lot of time as there were only a few people in line at the store. With passes in hand we walked to the platform just in time to watch the waiting tram pull away. Another one quickly took its place at the end-of-the-line stop at the port. We boarded the empty tram along with a few other passengers that had not gotten steered onto busses while walking down the dock.

Melbourne trains

Southern Cross Train Station

A few other people got on at stops here and there, but the tram did not get overly full as we rode it to a stop near Southern Cross Station.  From that large busy urban station we caught a train to Spotswood. Exiting the train at the tiny suburban station far from the touristy area of town, we walked through an industrial area following the signs to Science Works.

small train station

Spotswood Train Station

We guessed that Science Works probably wasn’t on the tourist maps because people unfamiliar with public transportation could easily get lost trying to get there. Some might feel scared or uncomfortable in the deserted train station or walking through the somewhat rundown industrial area. Other than a few people standing outside a factory on their break we did not see anyone along the way.

unexpected science

Hot molten glass bottles whizzing by on some sort of conveyer

Passing by a factory that made new bottles from recycled glass we caught a glimpse through some open window slats of orange glowing molten bottles whizzing down a chute. It looked pretty interesting so we stopped to watch for a few minutes.

Melborne Science Works

Science Works

The end of that street came to a crossroad with a sign pointing the way to science works. Looking in the direction the arrow pointed we saw the building itself. The base fee to get in was $12, with several extra exhibits for additional fees. We just did the regular one, which had more than enough things to entertain the grandkids until they were ready to go back to the ship for lunch. Exhibits included things like ideas for a greener planet, past and future transportation, health and fitness, and space. Many of the exhibits were interactive. The kids had quite a good time.

interactive video game

wheelchair race

In this interactive wheelchair race exhibit the kids spin the wheels to move their onscreen racer.

indoor snowboard

Hannah tries snowboarding

Hannah tried new sports like snowboarding and rock climbing.  They also had exhibits for the mind, some about health, and some about the environment.  Some had futuristic possibilities and others items from the past whether real or imagined.

star trek transporter

beam me up Scotty

On the walk back to the train station we wondered if the factory across the street from the glass works was abandoned or not. The building looked old and run down. It had no cars in the car park (parking lot). However industrial type noises seemed to emit from one end of the very large building, and a new looking big square green metal box that could have housed a generator or other sort of working equipment sat just outside that end of the building. Perhaps a much smaller enterprise had moved into one end of an otherwise empty building once occupied by a larger company.

I'll huff and I'll puff

3 little pigs demonstrate construction techniques

We got seats on the train easily enough, but the tram back to the ship had standing room only and not much of that. A few people exited and entered at stops along the way, but the majority stayed on all the way to the port, going either to the Legend like us or to Celebrity Solstice, which someone said had come from New Zealand.

Science Works, Melborne Australia

Sheri, Daniel, and Hannah play a mind game at Science Works

After returning to the ship we had lunch and the kids went to Camp Carnival. We went back out to explore the area near the ship. A trail for walking, jogging, or biking paralleled the beach for quite a distance. Warning signs said the beach had strong currents and uneven ground.  We saw a few people on the sand, but nobody in the water.

rent these

bikes for rent

Not far from the ship we came across a row of bikes next to the path. For just $2.90, people can rent a bike to ride around the city. No more money accrues for half an hour. If the rider stops and returns the bike at other stations within that time they can keep checking out other bikes at no additional charge as long as each segment of the journey takes less then half an hour, with a minimum 5 minute stop before picking up the next bike. Apparently they want to make it easy for tourists to use the bikes to visit shops or the cafés Melborne is famous for.

touring Melbourne on your own

John tries out the rental bike

The pathway, beach, and a nearby pier offered a number of places to photograph the ship.  Sheri went off for a jog, John rented a bike, and I walked out to the end of the pier.  There were two cruise ships within site and no crowd.  People passed by on the trail now and then, but not constantly.  A lady had her dog out for a walk on the beach and a few people were fishing from the pier. A one-legged seagull sat on the railing about halfway to the end of the pier.

this dock went out pretty far

one legged seagull on the fishing pier

Ship’s excursions are always an option in any port, but in Melbourne getting around on your own is pretty easy. I don’t think any other passengers went to Science Works like we did though.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Australia, Carnival, Legend, Ports of Call | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Posted on January 8, 2016 by LBcruiseshipblogger
Port of Halifax

Veendam in Halifax

Our first Canadian stop on the Canada/New England cruise on Holland America‘s Veendam came at Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Everywhere on this cruise was new to me as I had never been to the northeast before and to me going to Canada has always meant British Columbia.  We didn’t book any excursions for this port, opting instead to just get off the ship and walk around on our own as pre-cruise online research showed this port had quite a lot within walking distance of the dock.

Halifax boardwalk

old train car by the cruise dock

Halifax had free wifi at the port and quite a few souvenir shops right where you get off the boat.  I found the wifi at all the ports too slow for my very slow old netbook travel computer, but it worked OK with the iphone (kept in airplane mode to avoid unwanted charges.) My aunt’s ipad worked fine there too.

boardwalk in Halifax

Halifax waterfront boardwalk

A walkway running along the waterfront from the pier takes passengers to a variety of things to do.  Even some things way out of the ordinary.  My uncle found a passenger list of the ship my grandfather’s family arrived in Canada from England on when my grandfather was just a child at an immigrations office near where the ship docked at the port.

flowering tree

magnolia tree at the public garden

Along the boardwalk you can find all sorts of things to do. The hop-on hop-off bus people hand out maps right near the exit from the cruise port to the boardwalk which can come in handy whether you want to walk for free or pay to ride their bus. Along the boardwalk there are things to see and do. Plaques and statues give some insight to the history of the area. At the start of our journey we first passed an old train car right next to the building you go through getting off the ship. Nearby there’s a farmer’s market that has lots of local maple products and other things as well as cooked food people can buy to eat there. All along the boardwalk we saw shops, food stands, and tourist attractions.

boat at the pier

Boat in Halifax

We found one place where we could take photos of the ship from the boardwalk and another selling tickets to the harbor hopper amphibious vehicle that goes from land to sea. We saw a boat with a booth out front saying you could get tickets to ride it for $5, which we might have done except there was nobody there.

Canadian delicacy

poutine anyone?

Among the shops on the pier we saw a snack shack where brave souls can try the Canadian specialty poutine (French fries with cheese curds and gravy.) I’m guessing it’s an acquired taste as it did not look appetizing to me. Also probably an eastern Canadian thing because I’ve never heard of it before or seen any such thing in B.C. and it apparently originated in Quebec.  The poutine shack also had some with meat, but that didn’t look any more appealing.

a place for kids to play

playground on the boardwalk

If you walk far enough down the boardwalk you’ll come to a playground, great for people sailing with small children. There’s also a maritime museum and a visitor’s center along the way. At the end of it there’s a casino.

charming little house

miniature house by a creek at the public garden

With a map it’s easy to find the public garden, and there are other attractions within walking distance like the Citadel.

historic churches

old churches

My aunt and I walked down the boardwalk to the ferry terminal and then followed the bus map up to the garden. On the way there we passed several beautiful old churches with tall intricate steeple spires.  Old churches are always one of the best representations of an era’s architecture.

tree in bloom

flowering cherry tree at the public garden

The garden had a lot of things similar to the Pacific Northwest, but blooming later as the daffodils and flowering cherry trees were in full bloom in Halifax while at home the early spring flowers were long gone before our May cruise.  The northeast had a harsh winter and late snowmelt that year so spring came later than normal to the region.

interesting plants

tree with fuzzy little things that looked like pussywillows

They had some other things in bloom as well like magnolia trees, hyacinths, and something that looked like dogwood. Also a tree with white flowers and some fuzzy little pods that resembled pussy willows.

is it a fountain without water?

dry fountain

Like the boardwalk and a park we walked through later, the garden had statues, plaques, and other historical monuments. Many of the plants were either still in their winter dormant stage at mid-May, or just starting to bud. None of the fountains had water going. Perhaps those get turned on later in the season.

old style architecture

Halifax has lots of interesting old homes

If you wander off on your own in Halifax it’s pretty easy to find your way back to the ship. Just head toward the water and eventually either come out at the boardwalk or somewhere where you can see the ship.  We took a random route on whatever streets had the most interesting looking buildings and ended up at a park near the dock.

daffodils

daffodils at the public garden

Whether choosing to tour Halifax on foot or taking a paid tour, there’s lots to see. We even saw a group of people riding segways down the boardwalk, probably on an excursion from the ship.

gazebo

Gazebo in Halifax Public Garden

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2016
Posted in Canada, Holland America, Port Cities, Ports of Call, Veendam | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments