Martinique, Where Volcanos and Credit Card Bills Blow Up

Posted on May 7, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Splendor at the dock in Martinique

Carnival Splendor docked at Fort de France, Martinique on a sunny November day. A welcome back Carnival banner greeted the ship at the dock, hung for the first arriving ship of the season. Passengers with booked shore excursions gathered in front of the ship. Those on their own found that walking down the brightly colored dock brings them to a large tent set up with booths where locals sell their wares, much of it handmade jewelry. One booth had things made of seeds, another of mainly glass, seawater, and sand. The pier provides an excellent view of the city and of the old fort which gives the city of Fort de France its name. People on their own at Martinique could walk into the town to shop. Another option is to take an island tour from one of the local drivers waiting there or take a taxi to a specific destination.

Fort de France

We stepped off the ship into bright sunshine and immediately had to hold our sunhats on our heads due to the wind. Tina and I decided to go back and leave the floppy hats as we did not want to spend the day holding them on. Leaving the second time we stepped outside into rain, which stopped before we even reached the end of the dock. We also found in more than one port that the wind was strongest next to the ship.

seed jewelry in the shopping booth

Martinique Island Tour

We were happy to find the van tours as we wanted to see St. Pierre, a town destroyed when nearby Mt. Pelee blew up in 1902. This tour included a stop there. The tour had a lot of ups and downs – up a mountain, down a mountain, up another mountain and back down. Or at least very steep hills. Our driver, Mike, said that the airport is the only flat spot on the whole island. While the lowlands tend toward hot and dry, the higher rainforests stay cooler and wetter.

Mt. Pelee through an arch in the ruins at St. Pierre

The roads were paved and in good condition. Apparently France takes better care of their Caribbean islands than the USA does judging by the pothole filled roads on St Croix. Mike said Martinique got a lot more cruise ships in port back when they had the franc and none at all when they first changed to the euro. Now the ships are starting to come back with a few more each year in spite of the exchange rate. A lot of ships that once spent winters cruising the coast of Mexico added their ranks to the ones already in the Caribbean and they all need somewhere to go, plus people will book more cruises if they can visit different ports.

old church in Martinique

High on a hill sat an old church, which became our first major stop when we reached the top. We took a few photos and then the buses from the ship’s tour showed up so we left trying to stay ahead of them.

Mike shows some baby bananas

Along the way our guide stopped here and there in random places to show us the things that grow there. He said nobody ever starves on Martinique because there is always some sort of fruit ripe. Some things like bananas and papayas they cook and eat like a vegetable when green and eat as a fruit when ripe. We also saw coffee and cocoa bean trees as well as breadfruit, grapefruit, and guava. He said that island residents have free healthcare.

waterfall

One stop near the bottom of a hill included a short but steep hike down a hill and over stepping stones across a stream to see a waterfall. A couple dogs stayed near the falls even after all the people left. They looked well fed and in good condition, but seemed to be strays. Perhaps the island provides plenty of food for its dogs as well as its people. We did not see any puppies during our cruise, but most of the random dogs we saw looked like nursing mothers.

a stray dog stayed near the picnic shelter beyond the stepping stones across the stream

We did not see the ship tour busses again before St Pierre, where they seemed to have arrived first. We probably made more stops along the way. We drove past some ruins and then stopped in town for shopping, snacks, or a bathroom break. The public toilet would have cost money to use, but buying a little something at a café brought us access to a free restroom inside.

people have to pay to use this public toilet

Most of the town has been rebuilt since the 1902 erruption, but a few ruins remain. The volcano was unusually active for about a week before the fatal blast. The townspeople were accustomed to some volcanic activity and did not take the increase as a warning to evacuate. The blast that killed a town of 30,000 consisted of superheated steam and volcanic gases. It reached the city in less than a minute from the initial blast, igniting everything flammable, though the people mainly died from heat and gas. One lone prisoner survived in an underground cell.

ruins of the old prison in St Pierre

We stopped near the ruins of the prison, which sit behind a museum. Just down the road from there a crowd streamed back to the ship’s tour busses. Figuring there must be something worth seeing for the cruise ship tour to go there I walked down the road a bit to see where they came from.

arches in the ruins at St. Pierre

I walked up an old stone stairway as the last stragglers from the ship’s tour came down. The stairway led to some much bigger ruins than the prison our driver took us to see. These ruins had a number of walls with and arches and a view of the volcano so the rest of the people in our van tour really missed out by not seeing anything of them except the pictures in my camera.

ruins at St. Pierre

We stopped at a couple overlooks with views of the water on the way back. A sudden heavy rain squall showed up right when we got to the only place on our entire route with a great view for photographing the ship. We took a few pictures through the pouring rain and by the time we returned to the dock the sun shined brightly once again. So we actually hit rain more in the lowlands than in the rainforest for a change.

Splendor in the rain – photo taken out the taxi window

Watch Your Credit Card Account Carefully When Traveling

When we got back to the dock I paid for the tour with my credit card. At $40 a person this one was considerably more expensive then the usual random tour as most cost around $20-$25. St. Pierre was quite a distance away from the cruise ship dock so it took more time and gas than the average tour which justifies the higher price. The driver scanned my card twice saying it didn’t go through the first time. I specifically mentioned I did not want to be charged twice and he assured me that wouldn’t happen.

Fort de France, Martinique

Later after I got home and checked my account I found a double charge for that tour. Whether this was an honest mistake or a deliberate attempt to scam me I can’t say, but the bank removed the second charge so if it was a scam attempt it was not successful. It definitely pays to thoroughly check your credit card account if you make any charges while traveling.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Ports of Call, Splendor | Tagged island tour, Martinique, Mt.Pelee, photos, ruins, St. Pierre, taxi tour, travel, volcano | 8 Comments

Cruise Ship Cabins on Carnival Legend

Posted on May 1, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Legend in Sydney, Australia

Carnival Legend spends a good part of the year cruising out of Australia, where you can book a cruise at Carnival Australia. In the northern hemisphere’s summer, when it is winter in the southern hemisphere, the Legend moves to America where it cruises to Alaska through Carnival America. While transitioning across the Pacific Ocean it cruises to (or from) Hawaii. At least for now. Ships do change homeports sometimes.

inside cabin 6-205

Like all cruise ships, the Legend has a variety of rooms to choose from. Cruise ship accommodations vary from basic inside rooms to fancy suites. Budget travelers can save money by booking an inside room. Not all rooms in the same category are of equal size or have the furnishings arranged the same.

Inside room 7-278 has a different arrangement.

Inside rooms are the smallest rooms on the ship and of course have no outside view, but they cost significantly less and provide a place to sleep with plenty of storage space for two and most people don’t spend a significant amount of time in their cabin anyway. Some do have bunks so those on a really tight budget could put 3 or 4 people in an inside room, but they would not have a lot of floor space for small children’s toys or much room to move around when everyone is in the room. Some people like inside rooms because they can have total darkness for sleeping at any time of the day.

window room 1-233 with the couch made into a third bed

The rooms with a window have significantly more space than the inside rooms. These rooms are quite comfortable for 3 or 4 people and cost significantly less than a balcony room. The windows provide a nice view and a lot of the window rooms are located on deck 1, convenient to the gangway at ports and to the shops, theater, casino, and dining room while onboard.

balcony cabin 6-143 with drop-down bunk

Balcony rooms give passengers their own little bit of outside space. It’s nice to have a balcony if you like to sit outside in private, or for easy photo access to outside from the cabin. Some cabins have bunks that fold into the ceiling if they are not needed and drop down when more people use the room.

open connecting door between balcony cabins 6-135 and 6-137

Some of the balcony cabins on the Legend have connecting doors between rooms, making them a good choice for a family needing more space than one room provides. All of the standard size rooms (inside, window, and balcony) have private bathrooms with a shower, sink, and toilet. The shower has shampoo and body wash dispensers and bars of soap are provided for the sink.

Ocean Suite

Ocean Suite with bunk down

People who want a little luxury with their cruise can book an Ocean Suite, which has more floorspace than the balcony cabins and the addition of double sinks and a whirlpool bathtub in the head (bathroom on a ship.)

Grand Suite with bunk

The Grand Suites are great for honeymooners or anyone else who wants to make their cruise really special.

dressing room in the grand suite

The grand suite has more square footage and a separate dressing area. It also has a bidet, which may be a good thing or a bad thing depending on personal opinion.

bathroom in the grand suite

Grand Suites have an extra-large balcony. This one has loungers as well as chairs.

balcony on the grand suite

The Legend also has two more suite categories. Junior Suites have a standard size balcony and suite amenities like a walk-in closet and whirlpool bath. The Vista Suites include a wrap-around balcony and a wall of windows. Ocean, Grand, and Vista Suites come with VIP check-in.

deck plan to deck 6 where most of the photos are from

When booking your stateroom it’s a good idea to check the deck plans. Find the type and location of the cabin you want. Sometimes certain cabins are smaller or larger than others of the same category. It’s also a good idea to check the plans for the decks above and below your chosen deck for potentially noisy places if you are a light sleeper.

If you would like to see photos showing the inside of Carnival spa cabins, wheelchair accessible cabins, or an inside room with bunks please view my blog about the accommodations on the Carnival Splendor.

Accommodations on other cruise ships:

Arcadia Breeze Breeze odd cabins Divina Ecstasy Infinity Liberty Pearl Ruby Princess Splendor Veendam Westerdam Wilderness Adventurer

For a complete list of blogs about cabins see My Cruise Stories Ships and Cabins page.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Alaska, Australia, Carnival, Legend, Shipboard Life | Tagged Accomodations, Carnival, connecting staterooms, cruise ship, cruise ship bunks, cruise ship cabins, Legend, photos, Staterooms | 8 Comments

Memories of a Cruise Ship Doctor Part 8 – Cruise or Bust

Posted on April 27, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Dr. Len on Regent Star

Cruise ship doctors see all kinds of things in the course of their job. While most people sail healthy, a good number of passengers are old and anything can happen. Dr. Len Kreisler documented some of his unusual and interesting experiences working as a cruise ship doctor for the Regent Lines in the chapter What Ship, What Cabin and Doctor Who? from his book ROLL THE DICE, PICK A DOC AND HOPE FOR THE BEST. This is an excerpt from that chapter.

Dr. Len Kreisler’s book

We were 3 hours out of Vancouver heading north along the inward passage on the Regent Star when I got an urgent call for one of the VIP cabins. I got my bag from medical and put in a call to have the nurse meet me at the cabin. A familiar, unwelcome odor greeted me as a frantic woman, with a Russian accent, opened the cabin door. The odor couldn’t be anything but melena (stool mixed with relatively stagnant blood).

I remembered my first encounter with that type of mess; as a medical student making rounds on a cancer ward. Some things never leave you. I also remember leaving that ward to privately throw up in the men’s room. This time I wasn’t nauseous, and I wasn’t happy either.

I followed the woman to the cabin’s bathroom. I pushed open the door and confirmed my nose’s diagnosis. An extremely pale male sat on a bathroom floor covered with an inch thick layer of black, tarry, extremely smelly gook. His face was soaked with perspiration as he leaned his head against the vanity. I gathered all the towels I could reach and laid a path to the patient. The nurse arrived, in shock. I told her to get a stretcher, additional muscle power and to notify housekeeping. I would later ask the Staff Captain for permission to open the cabin’s portholes for ventilation.

The man had come to the United States from St. Petersburg, Russia 8 years previously. He was a scientist, living in the San Francisco Bay area. He had no personally significant past history. However, one son had a history of bowel cancer at an early age. I offered as much encouragement as possible while we extracted and transported the man down to medical. His blood pressure was low; he was sweaty and he looked like bleached white laundry. We started two intravenous limes. His color improved within 45 minutes. I examined him from top to bottom including a digital/rectal exam. The wife was still in shock and prayer, as her husband tried to sit up.

“Whoa, we’re not done here,” I said as I eased him back on the examining table. “I am sure you were bleeding from something in your stomach or intestine. You will need tests to figure out exactly what caused the bleeding. I’ve replaced your circulating volume with fluids which has helped bring your blood pressure back up. I assume you have stopped bleeding for now, since your blood pressure, pulse and color have improved and appear stable. Our first stop is Juneau, another 24 hours of sailing. You could start to bleed again and it could be very serious…even fatal. My first choice is to have the captain return to Vancouver and send you to the hospital.”

The heavy accented Russian frowned. “What’s your next choice?”

“You could sign a release stating you understand the risks, and choose to go on to Juneau. I will get laboratory tests in Juneau to assess your blood loss. If you’ve lost 25% or more of your normal blood volume, I will insist you leave the ship and fly back to San Francisco. If you have good residual blood readings and your vital signs remain stable, I will not insist on your leaving the ship…but you will have to sign another release.”

A broad smile came over his face. His wife’s face was not so happy. They had a heated exchange in Russian. He won. He made it clear (to me) that they’d planned this trip for many months; it was fully paid and he was going on come hell or high water. We drew up the papers, watched him for another hour and let him go back to his cabin in a wheelchair. I did put him on anti-acids and light sedation at night on the hunch that maybe his bleed was due to stomach ulcers? I limited his physical activity and ordered a bland diet. I again marveled at the resiliency of the human body, and this man’s stubborn resolve. By that afternoon he was sitting on a chaise lounge on the pool deck…at least in the shade. He smiled and told me not to worry.

His wife shrugged. “You can’t tell him anything.”

His blood work in Juneau was border-line low. He signed releases and completed the cruise to Seward. I gave him copies of his medical record, advised immediate follow-up and requested he send me a note from San Francisco.

“Thank you, doctor, but I still have the two-week land portion of my vacation: Denali Park, a glacier and everything else. Don’t worry, I’m doing fine.”

I never got a letter from him. Every time someone says “don’t worry” I think of him.

Princess of the Kayak

Posted on April 21, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Princess of the Kayak

Wilderness Adventurer from the kayak

On an Un-Cruise voyage the main activities offered at any stop often include kayaking. Once the Wilderness Adventurer anchors up, crew members lower the kayak launcher down to water level and line kayaks up in the slots. Not just any kayaks, these are all top of the line Necky kayaks. Passengers can climb into the kayak on a totally dry platform and once inside the crew pushes the small craft out into the water. When finished passengers paddle back to the platform where the crew pulls their boat onto the kayak dock and they can get out with solid ground on either side. Very easy to get in and out and no possibility of capsizing the kayak while doing so. They also have stand-up paddle boards available for any guests who wish to use them.

Necky kayaks ready and waiting

Just 6 weeks before our cruise while running with my dog she noticed the neighbor dog outside of his fence and suddenly lunged in front of me, launching me into the air where I went flying over her back before landing on the paved road. The dog was not only uninjured by this event, but completely oblivious to the fact that while in the air I put out my hand to break the fall and ended up with my arm broken inside the elbow joint. A rare sort of break my orthopedist said he had seen only 3 of in a 30 year career – and he was a bone specialist. Because the break was in the joint rather than a solid unmoving part of the bone he never put a cast on it. In the beginning it had a tightly wrapped splint, which allowed no movement at all. About 4 weeks after the break I started physical therapy. The first session mainly consisted of the therapist showing me ways to cope without much use of that arm since at that time unwrapping the splint caused me major dizzyness on the verge of passing out and neither she nor the doctor had very high hopes for me. She wrapped it more loosely than the doctor though, and the slight bit of movement that allowed made it possible to remove the splint and still stay vertical the next week. Just before the cruise the splint came off for good, but both the doctor and therapist forbade any kayak paddling when I mentioned the upcoming trip.

passengers getting into kayaks

Without the splint screaming out I’m injured to anyone who saw me, my arm looked perfectly normal to the unknowing onlooker. It doesn’t bend or straighten completely or have full range of motion, but other people can’t see any of that. While getting on and off skiffs I kept the arm tucked in front of me and didn’t allow the well-meaning crew to take hold of my left arm or hand to assist in transferring from one boat to another as it was still in a very fragile state at that time.

crew pushes the kayak out into the water

Because of my arm for the most part we opted for hikes in the places we visited, but we wanted to get out in a kayak at least once. We would have gone on a guided paddle tour, but were told we would never keep up with the group with just one person paddling and the other one dead weight in the boat. Just sitting there looking lazy is not my style, but I had no choice. A bag of rocks would have been as useful as me – maybe more so since it might make a good anchor. Paddling around on your own near the ship is an option for kayakers so we did that. Unknowing other passengers had a tendency to hang over the ship’s railing yelling “you forgot your paddle” as we went by, probably thinking they were being funny.

kayaks filled with people who can actually paddle them

Maybe that is a small taste of what it feels like to be a princess. Just sit there and try to look regal (something I would fail miserably at I’m afraid) while someone else does all the work. Except people would be too busy trying to get a glimpse or a photo of a princess to say anything about her not paddling – and probably wouldn’t expect her to anyway. I guess I should have tried to perfect the parade wave so when anyone said something about my lack of a paddle I could just smile and wave with my good arm like I was passing by in a float rather than floating past. At least the one arm would have gotten some exercise that way.

crew pulling the kayak back on board

We (or should I say he) paddled off to the shore of a nearby island. Often times when we’ve kayaked before I’d paddle while he took videos. I’ve rarely been the non-paddler before even for short periods and never for the whole ride so it felt a bit awkward just sitting there doing nothing other than taking a few pictures while he did all the work.

John goes paddleboarding

I rather liked the quiet near the island and would have liked to stay awhile, but he spied someone on a paddle board near the ship and off we went. When you haven’t got a paddle you have no say in where you go….wait a minute a real princess could tell her lackey to paddle her wherever she wanted. “No you can’t go on a paddle board, just paddle me around out here” might work for a princess, but for me it would not have gone over too well.

kayaks on a guided paddle tour

Later in the trip the ship spent a stormy night sheltering near a state park at Stuart Island. The morning brought sunshine and to take advantage of our unscheduled location the crew offered several water activities – kayaks, skiff tours or paddle boards. John took the opportunity to go out on a group paddle tour with a guide and other passengers from the ship while I stayed on the boat and had a wonderfully luxurious massage from the onboard masseuse and some hot tub time. Now that sounds like a princessy thing to do! Cheapskate that I am I’ve never spent money on a massage before, but now that I’ve tried it I highly recommend pampering yourself with a nice massage on your next cruise. It’s a real bargain on the Wilderness Adventurer compared to massage prices on the big ships. You get a whole hour with the massage tailored to your needs or desires.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Shipboard Life, Un-Cruise Adventures, Washington, Wilderness Adventurer | Tagged adventure cruise, broken arm, cruising with physical limitations, kayak, photos, travel, unseen injuries | 9 Comments

How To Fold a Towel Squirrel

Posted on April 15, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

How To Make A Towel Squirrel

Towel Squirrel

Supplies Needed to Fold a Towel Squirrel

Two Washcloths

One Handtowel

One Pipecleaner

Eyes

How to Fold a Washcloth Squirrel Head

For a video on how to fold the squirrel head, view the washcloth mouse because the mouse is used as the squirrel’s head.

using a washcloth mouse for a towel squirrel head

washcloth folded on the diagonal with the first corner folded to the center

Lay washcloth flat. Fold in half diagonally. Fold one corner to center of folded edge, followed by opposite corner.

fold straight edge over once

Fold over long edge.

pull tips of the corners out from under the folded edge

Fold washcloth in half. Bring tips of each of the corners out from under the folded edge for ears.

the squirrel works well with a thick washcloth

Fold top part down flush with sides.

use your fingers to shape the head and eye sockets

Secure with rubber band. Shape ears, face, and eye spaces as desired. Add eyes. If you don’t have googly eyes you can make eyes from felt or paper.

How to Make a Towel Squirrel Body

The squirrel takes the standard towel animal body, only made with a hand towel instead of the usual bath towel.

roll both ends of short side to middle

Lay the hand towel out flat. Roll both ends from the short side to the center.

rolled towel folded in half with tips pulled out at end of each roll

Fold rolled towel in half with rolls on the outside. Pull the tip out of the center of each roll.

pull with both hands (I don’t actually pull with the foot, it just held things in place for the photo while the other hand is on the camera)

Hold tips from both ends of one roll in one hand and both ends of the other roll in the other hand and pull all of them at once until rolls pull out into the four legs of an animal body.

How to Fold a Washcloth Squirrel Tail

lay pipe cleaner diagonally across center of washcloth from one corner

Fold squirrel tail from a washcloth. Put a pipe cleaner on washcloth diagonally over one corner.

fold one side of washcloth over pipe cleaner triangularly from the corner where the pipe cleaner is

Fold one side of the washcloth triangularly over the pipe cleaner.

fold the other side of the washcloth across the first fold

Fold other side and then fold again.

fold tail over a third time

Assembling the Towel Squirrel

tuck washcloth head between leg rolls on body towel

Put the head between the rolls of the body.

sit the squirrel up and position legs so they hold up the head, then tuck wide end of tail into lower fold at back of body

Bring squirrel into sitting position. Tuck wide end of tail into lower fold at back of body. Use the pipe cleaner to hold the tail up and make an arch to shape it into squirrel tail. If you really want to get creative you could add things like whiskers or claws.

finished towel squirrel

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

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in Towel Animals | Tagged creativr towel animals, free towel animal folding instructions, how to, how to make towel animals, photos, towel animal, towel folding, towel squirrel | 15 Comments

Bottom Dwellers

Posted on April 9, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Splendor in Dominica

In all my cruises on the big ships before the Splendor I had never had a cabin below deck 6. Sometimes we had balconies, sometimes inside rooms, but never an outside room with a window (or porthole). Like most cruise ship passengers we looked down on the rooms on the lower floors as something less desirable. In the interest of saving money, this time we tried something different on Carnival Splendor, an oceanview room on deck 1 with 4 people.

This cabin had quite a bit of space and even with 4 we never felt crowded. It had a bed near the window, but with space between the bed and window to walk over to the window and look out. It had another bed a nightstand away, both beds parallel with the short end of the room. A small table sat next to the second bed. On the other side of the table parallel to the long side of the wall it had a bed which would be a couch if there were less people in the room, and above that a bunk that drops down from the ceiling.

Room 1234

The opposite wall to those beds had a desk/dresser with mirrors above it, an undercounter stool in the middle, drawers, the mini-bar (which we had cleaned out to use as a fridge) and a cupboard and a couple shelves. There was also a chair next to the bed. The entrance into the cabin consisted of a little hallway with 3 closets, one with 4 shelves and 2 with hangers sitting opposite the bathroom door.

room 1234

We had a good amount of space between the bunks and the desk so everyone could get around the cabin without running into anyone else. We always bring extra hangers as there are never enough with just 2 of us so we knew for sure we would need more with 4. Everyone had somewhere to put their clothes with all the different places the room had to put things. The nightstands also had little cupboards in them and we found space enough under the beds for all the suitcases even though one of them had the couch back under it since we were using that as a bed. The couch bed also had drawers underneath of it for more storage space.

bring your own outlets

Besides extra hangers we always bring a power strip. Cruise ship cabins often have just one outlet which is definitely not enough for two people, let alone four. You don’t need a place to plug in the hairdryer though. The ship provides a hairdryer that resides in a drawer where it has a permanent cord.

papers magneted to the wall around the door to a connecting cabin

Four people in a room does mean a lot of stuff, but we helped keep the room neater by using magnets to keep anything paper we wanted to hang onto on the wall. (Walls and doors in cruise ship cabins are magnetic.) This kept things like excursion tickets and the daily Fun Times handy and easy to find as well as preventing them from cluttering up the counters. Magnets also come in handy to keep the key cards on the wall next to the door where they can easily be grabbed on the way out.

closet 1 of 3 (the other two had bars to hang things)

Sometimes everyone needed to get ready at once. Rather than each person waiting for the bathroom to change clothes, which can take awhile with 4 people, one person could make their own little dressing room area by opening a closet door and changing on the other side of it in the little hallway space between the closet and bathroom by the door into the room. Occasionally someone needed the bathroom while somebody else was in the shower, but a handy public bathroom two decks up solved that problem.

the nightstands had some storage space

I wasn’t sure how I would like being below all the other decks where passengers go, underneath the public areas even, but found out that I liked the bottom of the ship quite well. Well OK not the actual bottom, but the bottom for passengers. It’s nice to look out the window and have the water fairly close rather than decks and decks away. We could watch people come and go in port as our room was near the gangway and usually on the dock side. When we wanted to get on or off the ship in port the exit was just one deck away, making it easy to avoid the crowd at the elevator.

We ate at the Black Pearl on deck 3, so dinner was just 2 decks up, as well as the main theater. Of course the Lido, which means buffet, pools, and waterslide were many decks up, but the other public passenger areas on decks 3, 4, and 5 were quite close. Deck 1 just had an ironing room, but deck 2 had a full launderette, though it did take quarters rather than the sail and sign card used to operate the washers and dryers on most ships. They have plans in the works for updating the washing machines and dryers on the Splendor to the ones that take cards though. Until they do if you have quarters you have a advantage because you can get a washing machine while other passengers are off looking for quarters.

Another advantage for bottom dwellers besides the fact that lower in the ship means cheaper rooms is that the lower they are the less you feel the motion of the ship which comes in handy for walking around on days when the sea is rougher as well as for people with motion sickness issues.

even the window could be used as extra storage space

Windows mainly are found in rooms too low for balconies, and are a great compromise between comfort and price. Oceanview cabins are often larger than inside rooms and also have natural light and a view, yet cost significantly less than balcony rooms. I would certainly stay in a lower level room again on a future cruise. I definitely prefer a window room over an inside cabin, and though a balcony is nice the window comes at a better price. I have booked several cruises after returning from this one, all in lower level rooms.

Perhaps thinking of low level rooms as second class or less desirable stems from the poor people staying in steerage down below while rich passengers had suites above in old time ships, but that mindset rather makes those rooms one of the best kept secrets in cruising since it’s actually really nice down below. Even with inside rooms the same size room on a higher deck has a higher category listing and therefore higher price. If booking an inside cabin to save money you’ll save more the lower in the ship you go and odds are the room itself is the same whatever deck it’s on.

Splendor Riviera Deck 1

Check the deck plans before booking any cruise ship cabin. I always look for what is above and below my cabin, trying to avoid rooming above or below public areas or anything that may be noisy during the night. Booking deck 1 you take your chances on what’s below, but whatever was under us never made any noise so we got lucky. Deck plans also show the few odd rooms that are bigger or smaller than others in their category, or if booking a balcony room the ones that have extra balcony space.

Sometimes you can save money by booking a category guarantee. With the category guarantee you take what room you get, but it didn’t cost as much and upgrades are more likely as you are guaranteed a room of at least the category booked, but it can go higher.

Posted in Carnival, Shipboard Life, Splendor | Tagged 4 people in a cruise ship cabin, budget travel, cruise, cruise ship cabin bunks, cruise ship cabins, cruising with family, lower decks, photos, saving money on a cruise, travel | 12 Comments

Gluten Free Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce – Dairy Free Too

Posted on April 5, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Since I’ve started cruising frequently I’ve rather developed a fondness for bread pudding. It’s the sort of old-fashioned homestyle dessert I’d never really given a thought to until I started noticing it regularly on the ships. While fancy versions like Bitter & Blanc sometimes make an appearance in single serve bowls in the dining room, buffets often have more homey versions in serve yourself vats with warm pots of sauce on the side.

With two gluten (and dairy) free sisters and a gluten free sister-in-law as well, I end up doing quite a bit of gluten free cooking, often experimenting with turning regular recipes into a gluten free variety. Some experiments definitely work better than others. Ingredient proportions often need adjustments from regular recipes to get sauces to thicken or batters to set.

This recipe tastes just like regular bread pudding. Except that most recipes for bread pudding with vanilla sauce call for raisins. I don’t like cooked raisins so I tried other options instead. Chocolate chips work great if you can find some safe for the diets of whoever you are cooking for. Craisins are another option and of course there’s the traditional raisins. Use what you like that works with your diet. Or don’t add anything, that works too. Bread pudding tastes just fine on its own with no add-ins.

If either gluten or dairy is not a problem for you feel free to use regular bread or milk and butter or try this recipe. You can use any bread you like to make bread pudding. I’ve even used cupcakes from a failed gluten free pumpkin cupcake experiment for the bread – and they made way better bread pudding than they did cupcakes. (If using something sweet for the bread use a lot less sugar in the pudding.)

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Gluten Free Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread Pudding Ingredients

5 eggs

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional regardless of add-in or lack thereof, recommended to omit if using chocolate chips)

2 cups almond or other non-dairy milk (regular milk is fine if dairy is not an issue)

3 tablespoons non-dairy butter substitute, melted (butter is fine if dairy is not an issue)

10 slices gluten-free bread, cut into cubes (If using regular bread use 8 or 9 depending on the size because regular bread loaves are almost always bigger than gluten free.) White or sourdough bread lets the pudding flavor come through more than the bread flavor.

1 cup chocolate chips or craisins or raisins or blueberries or whatever you like if you want an add-in

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread Pudding Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (190 degrees C). Grease a large casserole dish or 2-quart baking pan.

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl with whisk. Stir in sugars, cinnamon and almond milk. Slowly pour in melted butter substitute while briskly whisking. Stir in bread cubes until coated and then stir in add-in of choice until distributed throughout bread cubes.

Pour bread mixture into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees. Check at half an hour and if the bread looks like it is getting too brown (or for moister pudding) cover for remainder of baking time. Serve warm with warm Vanilla Sauce.

Gluten Free Dairy Free Vanilla Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (more or less is fine depending on how thick or thin you like your sauce.)

1 egg (If making a smaller portion of the pudding you can cut the sauce recipe down to half and still add the egg, any less just leave the egg out and the sauce still comes out fine.)

1 1/4 cups almond milk (regular milk if dairy is not an issue)

2 tablespoons non-dairy butter substitute (or butter)

1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Gluten Free Dairy Free Vanilla Sauce Directions

Whisk brown sugar, egg, almond milk, and cornstarch together in heavy saucepan. Add butter substitute. Cook over medium heat whisking constantly until butter substitute melts and blends with other ingredients and sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla until well blended. Serve warm over warm bread pudding.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Posted in recipes | Tagged baking, bread pudding, cooking, dairy free, gluten free, gluten free bread pudding recipe, lactose free, photo, recipe, vanilla sauce | 4 Comments

Carnival Australia Dining Room Dinner Menus

Posted on April 3, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Legend in Hobart

The daily dining room dinner menus on Carnival Australia have some of the same things served on ships from Carnival America, but they have their differences as well. Starting with the wording – in America entree means the main meal, but in Australia entree means appetizer. As on Carnival America, there is always a lighter healthier option and a vegetarian option. We sailed on the Legend, but odds are these Australian menus also apply to the Spirit, which sails from Australia year-round.

Carnival Australia Kid’s Menu

We took a 7 day cruise to Tasmania, which had a Mexican/Caribbean dress night with a Mexican fiesta menu. Since there’s a separate Caribbean menu I’m guessing the longer cruises have a specific Caribbean night.

Each night the menu has the every night side that never changes and the today side which is different each day. There’s also a children’s menu with things like hot dogs, chicken nuggets and peanut butter sandwiches. Children’s meals tend to come with chips and cookies, but you can ask the waiter to have those left off. The steamed vegetables on the kid’s menu looked so good when my grandkids had them every day that one day I ordered them for my entree. Yes adults can order off the kids menu, and kids can also order off the adult menu. Either way the portions are often too big. My 3-year-old grandson quite enjoyed salmon from the everyday side of the adult menu.

steamed vegetables from the kid’s menu

Sometimes the main-dish pasta will say also available as an entree. If you want it for the main, but their usual portions are too large for you, you can ask for it as a main in the entree size. You can have a lot of extra things if you ask, like a plate of sliced lemons for the water, a glass of milk, or even faster service.

One of the daily desserts is always free of sugar or sugar substitutes and sugar free ice cream is available upon request.

Dinner Menus

Carnival’s signature dessert – chocolate melting cake

Every Day Menu

entree: diced fresh melons with citrus and mint; fried vegetable spring rolls; market salad; caesar salad

main: grilled salmon fillet; spice wrapped grilled 200 grams flat iron steak; pan-seared chicken schnitzel; guinness mince (chuck steak) mushroom and cheese pie

For a $25 surcharge the daily menu also had main dish offerings from the pay-extra Nouveau restaurant – great seafood and premium aged beef; steamed whole main lobster; surf and turf (filet mignon and lobster tail;) grilled filet mignon; prime new york sirloin steak 400 grams (This was the only lobster offered this cruise. Apparently lobster is too expensive in Australia to serve to the masses on formal night like they do in America.)

dessert: warm chocolate melting cake; fresh tropical fruit plate; ice cream; sorbet; assorted cheeses

Daily Menus

Menus from Our Cruise

diced fresh melons with citrus and mint

Day 1

entree: tropical fruits; marinated salmon and candied tomato; fried prawns; heart of iceberg lettuce; tom kha gai (thai chicken soup;) gazpacho andalouse

main: grilled mahi mahi fillet; linguini with italian sausage, capsicums and mushrooms; cantonese sweet and sour prawns; chicken a la grecque; irish stew; mutter paneer with red onion kulcha (indian vegetarian dish)

dessert: vanilla creme brulee, black forest gateau, orange cake

valentine cake

Day 2

entree: prawn cocktail; carpaccio of fresh pear and citrus segments; prawns and redfish ceviche; minestrone milanese; roasted pumpkin soup

main: spaghetti carbonara; fresh from sydney’s fish market; grilled jumbo prawns; teriyaki glazed pork steak; roast beef au jus; aloo shimla mirch, khlumb matar dahi wale, rajmah raseela (potatoes and vegetables in yogurt sauce served with rice)

dessert: special heart shaped chocolate valentine cake (because it was valentine’s day)

spinach paneer kofta, sag fondue, kathal aloo ki sabzi (I didn’t like this one much, but my daughter loved the Indian dish she had on an earlier night of the cruise.)

Day 3

entree: chicken satay with peanut sauce; wild mushroom arancini; hand picked spring mix and cherry tomatoes; pumpkin and tomato bisque; asparagus vichyssiose

main: lasagne bolognese; chinese e fu noodle soup; turkey roast; pan roasted pangasius fillet on gazpacho juice; beef stroganoff; spinach paneer kofta, sag fondue, kathal aloo ki sabzi (spinach and cheese balls with jackfruit and potato stew)

dessert: chocolate raspberry and vanilla cream cake, old fashioned apple pie, pumpkin pie

these enchiladas look a bit strange, but tasted quite good

Day 4 – Mexican Fiesta Night

entree: baja taquito; grilled prawns glazed with tequilla; queso fundido; watermelon and rocket salad; chopped salad; sopa de lima (chicken soup;) beefy chilli

main: pescado a la talla (fish;) dos enchiladas; guava glazed bbq ribs; alambre de carne (steak skewers;) chilli rellenos

dessert: salted caramel tres leches cake; orange cream eclair; chocolate chipotle pudding (the chocolate chipotle pudding is excellent)

amaretto cake, yum

Day 5

entree: deepfried mozzarella sticks; prawn cocktail; prosciutto ruffles; diced australian navel oranges and greek olives; chestnut veloute (soup;) iced butternut squash and green mango soup

main: fetuccini with sauteed prawns; turkey tikka; chicken chow mein; sugar glazed pork loin with apples and prunes; roast crusted lamb rack; karari gobhi (cauliflower)

dessert: amaretto cake; baked alaska; baked cheesecake

pineapple sorbet tastes good any day of the cruise

Day 6

entree: thai beef salad; fire roasted chicken in sesame dressing; coconut prawns; spring mix and cherry tomato salad; thai prawn soup; iced watermelon soup

main: teriyaki salmon; pappardelle alla forestale (egg noodles in cream sauce with mushrooms;) turkey piccata; chinese broccoli and crispy pork; roast beef with yorkshire pudding; achari bhindi (vegetarian okra dish)

dessert: variations of strawberries (upsidedown strawberry cake, strawberry sorbet, strawberry and mascarpone cream;) tiramisu; tropical fruit lasagne

grilled chicken breast

Day 7

entree: prawn cocktail; grilled portabello mushroom and handpicked mesclun lettuce; escargots; rocket, mint and vegetable salad; white bean soup; iced melon soup

main: grilled chicken breast; grilled filet of mahi mahi; panko crusted jumbo prawns; pork belly and egg noodle soup; guinness braised lamb leg; vegetable jalfrezi, palak paneer bhurji, chana dal masala, pilaf rice (stewed potatoes, vegetables, homemade cheese)

dessert: grand mariner souffle’; cappuccino pie; apple pie

grand marnier souffle with orange vanilla sauce, mmmm

Samples of Menus For Longer Cruises

pescado a la talla from Mexican fiesta night

Caribbean Beach Night Menu

entree: stuffed roasted red capsicums (bell peppers;) sugar cane jerked chicken wings; coconut prawns; chicken soup with yucca, taro root and jamaican dumplings; black bean soup; heart of iceberg lettuce with tropical fruit

main: fish fillet escabeche; jerked pork roast; guava marinated grilled chicken breast; west indian lamb curry; caribbean pasta with shredded beef; dhalpourie roti (vegetable stew)

pork belly soup from day 7

Other

entree: green-lip mussels florentine; baked stuffed white mushrooms; baby prawn cocktail; parma ham and pear chutney; seafood chowder; chilled essence of fennel

main: penne marinara; lemongrass steamed fish fillet; chicken tangine; roast prime rib with au jus; grilled centre-cut pork chop; onion tart with japanese eggplants

Posted in Australia, Carnival, Cruise Food, Legend, Shipboard Life | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Australia menus, cruise, cruise food, cruise ship menus, food, photos, travel | 10 Comments

Memories of a Cruise Ship Doctor Part 7 – Drunk and Disorderly

Posted on March 31, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Regents Ship

Serving as a cruise ship doctor with Regent Lines for four years gave Len Kreisler, MD enough stories for a chapter in his book ROLL THE DICE, PICK A DOC AND HOPE FOR THE Best. This story is an excerpt from that chapter.

Dr. Len Kreisler’s book

The Hotel Manager asked me to come down to his office for a meeting with the ship’s Security Officer.

An unmarried couple, traveling together, had been drinking quite heavily. The man was 10 to 15 years older than his traveling companion. The alcohol unleashed his mean streak. Neighbors complained of noise and suspected violence. The Security Officer took the battered, inebriated woman to a vacant lounge area. The couple had been noisy and disruptive from the beginning of the cruise, and it was getting progressively worse. The Security Officer was now concerned about serious harm to the woman. I suggested they keep the man in his cabin and bring the woman down to medical. I offered to sedate the man if he balked at confinement to his cabin.

The lady was in her late 50’s and very drunk. Her clothes looked like she’d been sleeping in them for several days. Her nylon stockings were full of tears, hair disheveled and she smelled like leftover saloon yuck. I came up with the following plan.

I offered to have the nurse clean her up and get her into an infirmary bed. I’d start an intravenous (she certainly needed fluids) and I’d periodically add enough valium to keep her sleepy for the rest of the voyage. I planned to let her wake up 4-5 hours before docking in New York. I suggested telling her male companion, if he asked, that she was resting in a private cabin…doctor’s orders. Both ship’s officers were concerned about their liability. I promised to cover everything in the medical record; i.e. document that we’d taken the necessary action to protect these two patients from harming each other, as well as ensuring the health and safety of other passengers.

We docked in New York at midnight, 12 hours late due to a boiler issue that also severely limited the availability of hot water. No one was allowed to leave the ship until clearance early the next morning except for a severely ill probable cancer patient who was whisked to a waiting ambulance on the deserted dock in the dead of night. New York City police stood guard on the pier.

I stopped the intravenous and valium on my sleeping beauty patient and sent her back to her beau around 2:00 AM. She looked ten years younger and radiant as she left the ship around 10:00 AM that morning; hand in hand with her sobered sugar daddy. They could have passed as poster people for a senior honeymoon cruise….lovers without a care in the world. He paid the $1200 medical bill in cash.

The nurse and I each got 10% of the $1200. I thanked the nurse for her help and she thanked me for helping her make the most money she’d ever made on a 10-day cruise. We earned it. (This trip started in a storm with about 120 calls for nausea and vomiting and only got worse from there. People tripping and falling at the lifeboat drill, a heart attack death, a fainting man, the dehydrated probable cancer patient, and finally the drunk abuser.)

door to the medical center on a modern ship

On one of my recent cruises, for the last couple days of the trip one cabin had a security guard posted outside the door 24 hours a day. The guards wouldn’t say why they were there, but it could have been a situation similar to the one above. Or someone under house arrest perhaps. Obviously they did not want that person to leave the room and did not trust them to stay in there on their own. The ships do have a brig so if anybody really did something awful they do have a place to put them.

Deception Pass

Posted on March 25, 2015 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Wilderness Adventurer at Deception Pass

On an Un-Cruise Adventures Washington Coastal Cruise, the Wilderness Adventurer sailed under the Deception Pass Bridge into a peaceful cove. Currents at Deception Pass can get a bit wild, so the captain had to time the coming and going under the bridge according to the tides and currents. The bridge was built in the 1930’s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Repainting the bridge in later decades cost more than building it did originally.

Heading toward the Deception Pass Bridge

Following a tasty breakfast on board anchored not far from the bridge, passengers grouped for the morning’s activities. Choices included a guided kayaking trip, an all-day hike in the forest, a morning jaunt on a forest trail, or a short nature walk on a paved path. We picked the medium-length hike, labeled as the Hoypus Forest Jaunt.

On a dry beach landing you go straight from boat to beach without getting wet feet

We landed on a beach at Hoypus Point in Deception Pass State Park. Quite the perfect spot for a landing as a couple stairs led from the beach to the trail.

stairs from the beach to the trail

Someone from a drier state commented on how they couldn’t believe how green everything is in Western Washington. That’s what plentiful rainfall will do. It’s not that far in miles from the Olympic rainforest where we hiked in a downpour the other day to Deception pass, but the difference in annual rainfall is distant. There are a lot of microclimates on and near the Olympic Peninsula. Where Hoodsport gets around 70-90 inches of rain, the much drier Deception Pass area on Whidbey Island only gets about 20-26, which is about half the amount of rain Seattle gets each year.

Trail Sign

We hiked a loop around a forest trail. This area still has some massive old growth trees, which is defined as anything older than 200 years. Even old growth trees here don’t grow as big as in some other places because the islands are mainly rock.

old growth trees are not as big here as in some places

Stinging nettles lined both sides of the trail at the start of the hike, which definitely encourages people to stay on the trail to avoid getting stung. Further into the forest ferns and huckleberry bushes dominated the underbrush. It’s nice that ferns often grow near nettles because fern juice can ease the itching of an accidental nettle sting. The trees mainly consisted of douglas fir, spruce, and hemlock. They are all evergreens, but have differences in the bark and needles.

skunk cabbage

Eventually our trail joined up with the paved path to take us back to the beach. Little daisies grew alongside the path and in wetter areas we found skunk cabbage. Not all flowers smell sweet and skunk cabbage is aptly named. It mainly grows in swampy areas, but here was in a drainage ditch. The paved path ran along the water’s edge and in places offered a nice view of the bridge between the trees.

hiking through the woods on the Hoypus Trail

The paved path is actually an access road for park personnel. A truck came down the path and stopped before the narrower trail leading to the beach where we landed. A fisheries guy with rubber boots and a fish net walked along the beach parallel to the trail. When we arrived at the beach we saw him at the water’s edge dipping his net.

view of the bridge from the trail

A few curious people wandered down and found out he was a fish counter from the state fisheries department. Lots of tiny pink salmon fry bunched up near the gravelly beach there. They hatch in a nearby river and make their way into the salt water. Then they hang out near the beach for a few weeks to grow and mature before heading out to sea. They stay in the shallows because the things that want to eat them need a bit deeper water. One of the reasons natural growth areas with trees to shade the shallow water is so important to the survival of native fish runs.

banana slugs are native to the area

Deception Pass State Park is a very popular place, but it also sprawls out over 134 acres, mainly on Whidbey Island. It has a campground, picnic area, and 38 miles of hiking trails. We did not see many other park visitors on the trail we took so it seemed remote. Deception Pass was named by early explorers who initially thought they had found a bay by a peninsula rather than a pass by an island.

Posted in Shore Excursions, Un-Cruise Adventures, Washington, Wilderness Adventurer | Tagged Deception Pass, hike, photos, Puget Sound, State Parks, trail, UnCruise Adventures, Washington State | 12 Comments

Martinique Island Tour

Watch Your Credit Card Account Carefully When Traveling

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

How To Make A Towel Squirrel

Supplies Needed to Fold a Towel Squirrel

How to Fold a Washcloth Squirrel Head

How to Make a Towel Squirrel Body

How to Fold a Washcloth Squirrel Tail

Assembling the Towel Squirrel

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Gluten Free Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread Pudding Ingredients

Gluten Free Dairy Free Bread Pudding Directions

Gluten Free Dairy Free Vanilla Sauce Ingredients

Gluten Free Dairy Free Vanilla Sauce Directions

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Dinner Menus

Every Day Menu

Daily Menus

Menus from Our Cruise

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4 – Mexican Fiesta Night

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Samples of Menus For Longer Cruises

Caribbean Beach Night Menu

Other

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2015

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