Grand Canary Island – Island Tour

Posted on July 6, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Las Palmas on Grand Canary Island in a storm

Storm Over Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island

Long before our transatlantic cruise on Carnival Breeze began, we booked an all-day Island Exploration tour for the day our ship docked at Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island. This tour said an all-terrain vehicle would take us to visit two volcanic craters and to visit places where tourists don’t normally go. On board, the shore excursion booklet said that vans would take this tour places where busses can’t go.

Carnival Breeze in Las Palmas, Grand Canary Island

We were to see two volcanic craters and the highest point of the island, have lunch at a castle, and visit a museum and a cave. However we did not look at the paper until we got back, so when we saw the waiting vans as we exited the Carnival Breeze, we initially thought they would take us somewhere to board an all-terrain vehicle (expecting something similar to the jungle bus from Australia.)

vans going down the mountain after the weather cleared up in the lowlands

We were given stickers with the number 8 on them in the lounge on the ship, so we boarded van number 8. Our group actually had only 6 vans, of which ours ran in the middle of the group. The lowest numbers had gone to passengers on a different tour. The vans zipped through the city in a line, while an Englishman in the first one gave commentary that came over a speaker into the rest of the group. We thought for the majority of the tour that our driver did not speak English as he did not say a word until it was nearly over.

White rock that the original island natives considered a special sacred type place

As the vans snaked up the mountain in the pouring rain, the guide explained how it rarely ever rains on Gran Canaria (the Spanish spelling of Grand Canary, as the Canary Islands belong to Spain.) The island has many reservoirs to catch what rain does fall for watering a thirsty island. Prickly pear cactus and agave grow wild on the steep hillsides between the steep winding roads. He also mentioned a leaf discoloration on some plants caused by an infestation of beetles which they harvest and turn into food coloring. So if you see red food color made of carmine or cochineal extract on the list of ingredients of your food, it may have come from bug juice. Which is at least natural. It could be worse, some red dyes are petroleum based.

According to Live Science, the bugs are not beetles at all, but a species considered a “true bug,” called cochineals. If it weren’t for the fact that some people are allergic to it, the dye ingredients would just be listed as natural. Cochineals are harvested mainly in Peru and the Canary Islands on plantations of prickly pear cacti, the bugs’ preferred host. About 70,000 insects are needed to produce a pound of dye.

As the altitude grew ever higher, the vegetation changed mainly to pine trees. In this very dry climate, the pine trees developed a unique system of obtaining water. Instead of drinking through their roots like other pine trees, the Canary Island pines have the longest needles of any pine tree in the world and use them to extract moisture from the air.

Approach to the lookout for Bandama Crater where we saw nothing but rain and fog.

We reached Bandama crater, enshrouded in mist and clouds. We exited the vans, but through the rain and clouds did not get the views or photo opportunities our position high on the mountain would have provided on a nicer day. On the way there and back we drove past Bandama Golf Course, the first golf course built in all of Spanish territory.

I was quite glad to see a golf course up in the mountains rather than by the sea where run-off from all the fertilizers and things used to keep it green harm sea life. The guide said it is quite expensive to play golf there because of the amount of water needed to keep it green on an island where rain comes so infrequently. While we would have preferred it not rain during our visit, locals are probably quite happy to see rain whenever they can get it.

Next, we went to the highest point on the island. As the vans pulled into the stop, I noticed a dog chasing the last one. If they think about the Canary Islands at all, most people associate them with little yellow songbirds. In actual fact, they were named after the dogs that once ran wild there (canis – canines.) The natural assumption that Grand Canary is the biggest of the Canary Islands is also false, as it ranks only third in size. Gran Canaria translates literally to big dog area. The aforementioned songbirds were later named after the island, and some do live there.

The dog I saw had a different look to it then regular dog breeds so I figured it to be one of the Canary Island dogs. It vanished from sight before I got a chance to get a picture of it. Through heavy winds driving the rain sideways, I did get some pictures of the pine trees. I entered one in the on-board photo contest. It didn’t win, but they make a nice 8×10 photo of all the entries and let the contestants keep them, so I got it a frame to hang it on the wall in my house.

Highest Point of Grand Canary Island in a storm

There’s probably nothing technically right about this photo, but I held my ground while getting frozen and soaked in driving wind and pouring rain to take it at the highest point of Grand Canary and I like it. It’s now framed and hanging on the wall in my living room.

My husband entered photos that he thought had a chance to win and his made the finals, but they are not photos we’d want to display in our home. I entered photos I’d want to hang win or lose so I got a couple nice pictures for free. (My other entry was a sunrise.) The winner got a larger copy of their photo as their prize, so I saw no point to entering something not wall worthy.

We made a brief stop in a small town. Spanish speaking passengers could buy saffron at the pu

small mountain town on Grand Canary

blic market there for very cheap. Our Spanish is limited more to a few useful phrases like “Donde esta el bano?” (Where’s the bathroom?) and a few things better not mentioned. The stop was too short for haggling between people who don’t understand one another, so we skipped buying saffron there, being more interested in not getting left behind in the boon toolies on our last port stop before crossing the ocean.

Cafe on a mountain on Grand Canary Island

Later we stopped at a small café in the mountains. We got a large package of Canarian saffron there for next to nothing. Locals consider it “tourist prices” because the local markets have it for less, but we got it far cheaper than most people would ever dream of finding it for. Saffron comes from part of a particular type of crocus flower and it takes 50,000 to 75,000 of them to make a pound of the world’s most expensive spice.

view high on a mountain on Grand Canary Island

misty view with a rainbow

We had photo stop at a scenic overlook on the mountain road. With the peaks of the mountains still in the clouds, we never did get the views we might have seen, but we did see some rainbows, interesting rock formations, and some towns down in the valleys.

museum of interesting artifacts

As we came down from the mountains, the weather got warmer and sunnier. Viewpoints now looked both up and down, with the ups showing the mountaintops still in the clouds. In a cute little town we stopped at a museum made of stones. Being Sunday, it wasn’t open, but someone came along eventually to unlock the door. Inside it had interesting light fixtures made of natural objects as well as an eclectic collection of items ranging from stones and bones to no-longer-living birds, sealife, and artifacts. Outside the building’s archways lemon trees and giant cactus grew along the stone paths through its small garden.

camel farm

We stopped for lunch at a camel farm where they had a number of camels saddled up for rides, though we did not see anyone riding them. We had a hearty lunch with choice of soup or salad and pork or fish. We didn’t mind eating at a camel farm rather than a castle, but there was a person in our group allergic to camels who was quite unhappy about that and everyone would have liked to see the castle even if we didn’t eat there.

town in the lowlands on Grand Canary

After lunch we returned to town and back to the ship. One of the benefits of booking a shore excursion through the cruise line is that the ship will wait for you even if you return past the all-aboard time, which we did even though we had not gone to all the stops listed on the tour.

People on their balconies clapped when our vans pulled up, though late as we arrived a few other people straggled in later still, lucky that the ship got delayed by our tour. One person came running down the dock not only after the gangway got pulled in, but actually after the ship had begun to pull away from the dock. Arriving that late usually means watching the ship sail away without you and finding your own transportation to the next port. Our captain had a kind heart knowing that getting left behind there meant five days and an ocean to cross before the next port, and he knew he could safely get back to the dock so he did return to pick up the last straggler.

shore excursion back after all aboard timell

Hurry up and get on the ship before it leaves

Normally ships only wait for their own tours, and if the boat has left the dock the passenger is out of luck. That last straggler should feel very thankful that the captain so kindly returned for him. With 5 days and an ocean between ports catching up to the ship would have gotten very expensive had he missed the boat. Odds are security had already checked the safe in his room for his passport, as Carnival will have someone meet their missing passengers at the dock and help them make arrangements to catch the ship at the next port. Usually the next port is not so far away in time or distance though.

We enjoyed this excursion even though it did not quite match up to our expectations, but felt the price was too high for what we got considering we missed several things the tour should have included. We have learned over time that the excursions don’t always match up to the hype. This one could have improved through better organization. At all the small stops we lost time because the drivers and guide all gave people different amounts of time for how long they planned to stay there, and the vans all tended to move after we got out of them. So nobody knew when exactly to get back, and then had to find either the right van or even the entire group of vans after they did.

odd things in the museum included the light fixtures

If the museum had been open when we got there, and lunch (which the guide called ahead and ordered) ready upon arrival we could have saved time in those places as well. Then perhaps we might have had time to visit the cave we were supposed to see. It turned out that the lunch stop was at a camel farm instead of a castle because of the large size of our group. If we had time for camel rides that would have been fun, but we did not. I’m not sure if we ever went by the second volcanic crater either. If we did we didn’t stop for photos, which probably would not have been good anyway since the mountain tops remained in the rainclouds all day and if it was anywhere near the first one we probably couldn’t have seen it anyway due to the weather.

cave house entrance seen with high powered camera lens

Missing out on the cave on that particular island was a big loss because to this day some of the island’s inhabitants live in cave houses, and we missed seeing one. The guide had talked about seeing a cave house on the way to lunch, but did not mention it again afterword while heading straight back to the ship past the all-aboard time.

After mentioning these discrepancies to the shore excursion desk on Carnival Breeze, they said they would ask that the wording in the description get changed to include the lunch stop at any places it might go, which may depend on the size of the group. It has already changed to vans rather than all terrain vehicles. Even though the tour is ran by an outside vendor they also kindly refunded us $25 each since we did not complete the tour.

Posted in Breeze, Carnival, Europe, Ports of Call, Shore Excursions | Tagged cruise, dogs, Europe, Grand Canary, island tour, photos, transatlantic, travel | 8 Comments

Accomodations on Holland America Westerdam

Posted on June 29, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Westedam in Sitka

The Holland America Westerdam has a variety of rooms available to suit the budgetary needs of all their passengers. Those who prefer to spend as little as possible on their room can book an inside room. The inside rooms on the Westerdam are quite nice and for an inside room quite spacious as well with some open floorspace and couches that wrap around a corner. Inside rooms come with a basic bathroom and shower.

Inside rooms on the Westerdam are pretty nice

For people who prefer not to spend any more than necessary on their room, yet would like to have some natural light, rooms with obstructed views are an affordable way to go. These rooms have a window, which may be partly or fully blocked by a life boat. A little more money spent for the room upgrades the window to one with a full view.

Verandah rooms give passengers their own outside space

Verandah rooms allow passengers a full view and a bit of private outdoor space with their small decks. These rooms cost more than inside or window rooms, but still save money over suites and they have bathtubs.

Superior Suite adds more space

The suite category starts with the superior suites. These are more spacious than the regular balcony rooms. With suites, the balconies get larger too. These suites also come with double sinks, jetted tubs, and telephone concierge service.

Book a Neptune Suite and you can come in here – Neptune Lounge

Passengers who like more space, use of the Neptune lounge, and VIP boarding can book the Neptune suites. Extra perks like free laundry service come with the extra money spent to book a suite.

Neptune Suite

Neptune suites include double sinks, whirlpool tubs, separate showers in the bathroom and a good sized balcony. The Neptune Lounge includes personalized concierge service among its amenities. Guests of Neptune suites also have priority tender service among the extras included with a suite.

The Penthouse suite is so big it doesn’t all fit in the picture

The penthouse suit brings all the comforts of home, with more room than some apartments. It has a separate bedroom, and an extra bed that folds out of the wall in the living room just under the huge flat-screen TV.

accomodating extra passengers in a suite

there’s a bed hiding in these cabinets

It includes a dining room, butler’s pantry, guest bathroom, and master bath with gold sinks, large whirlpool tub and separate shower. The penthouse has an expansive balcony with a private hot tub.

book the penthouse and this balcony could be yours

the Penthouse has an expansive balcony

private hot tub on Penthouse balcony

Sometimes passengers have more than two people in the same room. To accommodate three or four guests, some rooms have a couch that folds out into a bed and/or a bed that folds down from the ceiling.

bunk drops from ceiling

I sailed on the Westerdam with three people in a verandah room, in the type where the couch folds down for a bed. The room steward made the couch into a bed each night and folded it back into a couch for us each morning. There wasn’t a lot of floorspace with the bed folded down, but it only stayed that way for the night. The room had three closets, a few drawers, and a cupboard over the couch-bed, so we all found space to put our things.

bathroom in the penthouse

Accommodations on other ships: Arcadia, Breeze, Breeze odd cabins, Divina, Ecstasy, Infinity, Legend, Liberty, Pearl, Ruby Pearl, Splendor, Veendam, Wilderness Adventurer

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

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2013

Posted in Holland America, Shipboard Life, Westerdam | Tagged cabin, cruise, cruise ship cabins, Holland America, room, rooms on cruise ship, stateroom, suite, travel, Westerdam | 12 Comments

You Can Do Your Own Laundry On A Cruise

Posted on June 22, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival cruise ship docked at Grand Turk

Carnival Liberty

Can I do my own laundry on a cruise? Passengers-to-be often wonder about that in these days of limited luggage for airline travel. Particularly when taking longer voyages. Cruise lines do offer laundry service where the crew will do the passenger’s laundry – for a fee, and not a small one either.

Passengers probably don’t have this much laundry

Most ships have a tiny clothesline in the shower so a bit of handwashing can hang there – if the line space is not already taken up with swimsuits drying from a trip to the beach, a dip in the pool or hot tub, or perhaps an afternoon’s fun on the waterslides.

laundry room sign on the Liberty

For short cruises most people can pack enough clothes to meet their needs, but on longer voyages clean clothes may run out partway through. Luckily for us we have taken our longest trips on Carnival. We took a back-to-back Eastern & Western Caribbean cruise on the Liberty, and a transatlantic voyage on the Breeze. On both these vacations we made use of the laundrette.

you would never find the laundrette without the tiny sign

Carnival Breeze Laundrette sign

Carnival has laundrettes on all of their ships, something their passengers truly appreciate. On the Liberty each passenger deck had its own laundrette with several coin-operated washers and dryers each. Only one washer worked on our deck, but the deck above housed most of the suites. Suite guests tended to send laundry out to the crew, plus their washers all worked, so I never had any trouble finding a washer open one floor up.

it's nice to be able to wash your own clothes on a cruise ship

only the middle washer worked on the Liberty

On the Breeze, Carnival’s newest ship, only a few decks had full laundrettes with washers and dryers operated not by coins, but by the sail & sign card that works as room key and shipboard credit card. The rest of the decks just had ironing rooms. On a transatlantic voyage this tended to cause a back-up of people waiting for washing machines, especially since they locked the laundrettes up at night.

new technology - use the sail & sign card to run the washing machines

no coins needed to use the washers & dryers on Carnival Breeze

Our deck had a full laundrette, poorly located next to the suites where the guests were least likely to use them and most likely to complain about the noise. And complain they did, which resulted in the laundrettes having shorter hours and longer lines…..and more noise because people waiting out in the hall for the door to open in the morning tend to talk.

soap and fabric softner vending machine on cruise ship

you don’t even need to bring laundry soap

I only hope this reduction in laundry facilities is an not indicator that Carnival has plans of phasing them out like most of the rest of the cruise lines have done. Judging by the amount of people who use them, a large percentage of the passengers appreciate having the option to do their own laundry during the cruise rather than paying the exorbitant fees to have the crew wash it for them. We greatly appreciated the laundrette on the Breeze in spite of having to wait to use it.

I recently sailed on the Holland America Veendam and was rather surprised to see that it had 3 launderettes onboard as I had not seen one on cruise lines other than Carnival previously. My prior cruises on Holland America were on the Oosterdam and Westerdam which did not have the launderettes, but the Veendam is a different ship class so perhaps some of their other smaller ships have them as well.

Some other lines such as Princess, Cunard, and P&O also have self-serve laundries on at least some of their ships. On P&O Arcadia use of the washers and dryers was free.

Posted in Breeze, Carnival, Liberty, Shipboard Life | Tagged Carnival, cruise, laundrette, laundry, laundry on a cruise ship, travel | 11 Comments

Dunn’s River Falls

Posted on June 15, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Dunn’s River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Dunn’s River Falls

As the most popular tourist attraction in Ocho Rios Jamaica, Dunn’s River Falls attracts a crowd. A really large crowd. We found the amount of people at the falls detrimental to actually enjoying the falls. People climb the falls in large groups. It takes about 45 minutes to make the climb, but only because of the large groups. On their own a person could probably scramble up the falls in about 10 minutes.

A group of people ready to climb the falls

Climbers start at the bottom like a sea of humanity flowing upriver reminiscent of a school of salmon at spawning time. Unlike spawning salmon, the waterfall climbers live to tell the tale. Each relatively large group made their way upstream to the next pool, where the guides would entertain them as they delayed the group awhile waiting for other groups further upstream to clear the way. Once moving, they seemed to travel fairly quickly in a line while traversing the next section of the falls, only to bunch up again as they reached another pool.

We opted to stay on the sidelines and film as climbing in a bunch like that just really didn’t appeal to us. This attraction seemed too crowded and commercialized to actually be much fun. A man who had climbed the falls confirmed this on the bus ride back to the ship. They also seemed somewhat unorganized. Even though we had pre-paid and did not plan to climb the falls we had to wait nearly as long at the gate for someone to lead us inside as the amount of time we spent there once we finally got in. It also cost the same to get in whether you climb the falls or not.

the end of the climb at Dunn's River Falls

A sign at the exit point of the falls congratulates waterfall climbers

After leaving the waterfall, the path to the exit passes through an area filled with booths where locals sell their crafts. At nearly every booth a person steps out aggressively trying to get passers by to stop and make a purchase, all the while claiming to be low or no pressure and different from the rest.

crowds of people climbing Dunns River Falls

Groups of people herded up the falls like cattle

Unless this waterfall is something you really want to see, or climbing one is on your bucket list, my recommendation for Jamaica is to skip this and find something less crowded, like Mystic Mountain where we had lots of fun. The waterfall was beautiful. Without the crowds it would have been a nice place, but that many people just doesn’t make for peaceful co-existence with nature.

Ocho Rios

The name Ocho Rios, which means Eight Rivers in Spanish, seems a bit misleading since the area does not actually have eight rivers. Once a fishing village, the town now makes its money from tourists. People come to see the falls, for scuba diving and other water sports and recreational opportunities, or because their cruise ship stops there.

fora brief moment in time the waterfall had almost no people in view

Looking down from the top of Dunn’s River Falls

Christopher Columbus landed many places along the Jamaican coast, but Columbus Park in Ocho Rios may have been his first stop there. Europeans brought slavery and disease to the Taino population who lived there at the time. The Spaniards settled the island, only to lose control to the British after a series of wars.

Flowers growing at the edge of the falls

Like many Caribbean islands, European colonists settled in Jamaica, using slave labor to man their sugar plantations and warring with other European countries. After numerous uprisings, the slaves were finally granted their freedom. Jamaica however did not gain freedom from Great Britain until 1962.

Things to Do in Ocho Rios

Cruise ships have quite a selection of shore excursions in Ocho Rios, many of which can include a stop at Dunn’s River Falls like our excursion from the Norwegian Pearl did. Besides Mystic Mountain, and the Bobsled Roller Coaster there, other excursions offered in Ocho Rios include a variety of ATV tours, a number of different choices that include either a dolphin swim or dolphin or shark encounter, horseback riding and various watercraft ranging from inner tubes to bamboo rafts to jet boats. Other options include zip lines, caves, beaches or a visit to the birthplace and final resting grounds of Bob Marley.

Other things to do in Ocho Rios include visits to gardens, parks, or museums. Shopping for local crafts or visiting swimming areas inland as well as beaches are also popular pastimes for visitors to the area. Scuba diving and snorkeling also entertain visitors to the area.

Mystic Mountain

Sometimes you save money doing things on your own rather than booking shore excursions through the cruise ship and sometimes you don’t. We intended to make our own way to Mystic Mountain to ride the Jamaican Bobsled Roller Coaster when the Norwegian Pearl docked in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. We did not book the excursion in advance on the ship thinking that we would save a significant amount of money if we got there on our own.

Scenery on the trail to the Sky Explorer tram

After disembarking the ship we found someone from Mystic Mountain operating tours from the cruise ship dock. Our options included booking directly with them, booking through the ship (which we could do right there at the dock) or walking to the attraction and buying the tickets there. Booking through the ship saved a few dollars over booking the tour directly through Mystic Mountain. Both included transportation there and back. Walking would only save the bus fare, which was $10 on Mystic Mountain’s tour or slightly less through the ship. They said the walk would take about 45 minutes. The distance the bus traveled before arriving seemed closer to a 20 minute walk, although that is just a guess. Either way it would not be worth the pittance saved, especially considering sections of the road had nowhere for people to walk.

Bridge on the trail to the tram

Mystic Mountain offers several options. Guests board the Sky Explorer tram at the bottom of the mountain. It’s not optional as it provides transportation to the other attractions at the top of the mountain. Most people buy a ticket that includes a ride on the Jamaican Bobsled Roller Coaster as well as the Sky Explorer. Once at the top people can buy additional rides on the bobsled in increments of 2, 3, or 5 rides, with 5 the best deal on the price. Anyone who did not have an initial ride ticket when they came up can purchase the 5 ride ticket at the top. The other option is a zip line. Mystic Mountain also has a Tranopy tour that includes all three – Sky Explorer, bobsled, and zip line.

zip line platform at Mystic Mountain

Cruise ships may offer combinations that include the bobsled ride and a visit to Dunn’s River Falls. If the ship doesn’t offer the Tranopy option, passengers wishing to do that can book it online or with the tour guide at the dock. We would have liked to try the zip line, but opted to skip it because we found the cost more than we cared to spend.

Sky Explorer Tram

After disembarking the bus at the Mystic Mountain entrance, we stopped at a nearby building where employees fitted everyone with wristbands indicating which attractions they had paid for. A short scenic trail through flowering plants and over a bridge near a small waterfall led us to the lower tram station.

approaching the upper tram station

The ride on the Sky Explorer takes a bit of time and offers several views of the ships in port along the way. A splash of purple flowers adorned the top of one tree we passed, probably one of the sort of rain forest plants that live in the trees rather than part of the tree itself. Here and there along the forest floor large red blooms reached skyward toward the light. The tram covered quite a distance, all of it quite scenic whether traveling through the rainforest or high enough above it for ocean views.

At the top of Mystic Mountain

There’s lots to see and do on Mystic Mountain

The top of the mountain has other attractions in addition to the bobsled and zip line. People can spend as much time as they like in the free attractions. These include a hummingbird garden, butterfly garden, and the infinity pool.

View from Infinity Pool, with Bobsled and slide

The pool has a waterslide as well as an awesome view of the cruise ship docks and close-up view of the Jamaican Bobsled Roller Coaster Ride. The mountaintop also has a restaurant and some shops.

riding on the Jamacian Bobsled roller coaster

Jamaican Bobsled roller coaster runs through the rainforest

The bobsled, inspired by the Jamaican bobsled team that once competed in the winter Olympics, doesn’t actually slide down a mountain of snow. This Jamaican Bobsled Roller Coaster Ride runs through the jungle on a roller coaster style track. Unlike traditional roller coasters, the sled driver can control their speed on the track. Riders may opt to go alone or to hook two or more sleds together, with the front person controlling the speed for the entire group.

We had a great time at Mystic Mountain. Everything flowed smoothly even with two ships in port that day. The lines never got too long for the bobsled or the sky explorer. People enjoyed the pool and slide, but neither had a crowd.

Jamaican Bobsled roller coaster through the rainforest

Jamaican Bobsled roller coaster ride, woo-hoo!

We enjoyed our initial ride on the bobsled enough to buy a 5 ride ticket so we could ride it some more. They do allow more than one person to share rides on the same 5-ride ticket. Sharing that cost less than buying separate 2 or 3 ride tickets.

hummingbird at Mystic Mountain

We also spent some time taking photos in the hummingbird garden. Much as we would have liked to stay at Mystic Mountain longer, we had paid to see the area’s most popular attraction – Dunn’s River Falls – as well. We had to take the tram back down the mountain while we still had time to go there. We didn’t have time to see the butterfly garden, though we did see a butterfly with the hummingbirds. If we had the chance to do it over we would spend our whole time in port at Ocho Rios enjoying all that Mystic Mountain has to offer and skip Dunn’s River Falls.

Butterfly in the Hummingbird Garden

spiders hanging from a palm tree

More Posts about Jamaica

Dunn’s River Falls (Ocho Rios)

Zip Line at Good Hope Estate (Falmouth)

River Tubing (Falmouth)

Swimming with Horses (Montego Bay)

Posted in Caribbean, Norwegian, Pearl, Port Cities, Ports of Call, Shore Excursions | Tagged Bobsled roller coaster, Caribbean, cruise, Jamaica, Jamaican Bobsled, Mystic Mountain, Ocho Rios, photos, travel, video | 13 Comments

Interview with John Heald: Best Places on Carnival Breeze

Posted on May 25, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Breeze in Malaga, Spain

John Heald, Carnival’s senior cruise director, has many fans among Carnival passengers. In addition to being their spokesperson, he also writes a blog. He sailed across the Atlantic on the Breeze’s maiden voyage to America as the cruise director for the ship. In addition to hosting games such as Hasbro The Game Show, he also had a morning show broadcast on the ship’s TV, along with sidekick Calvyn. Lots of passengers gathered on the sundeck to watch the morning show on the big screen from the comfort of a deck chair. Others watched from their rooms. A few major fans even found their way down to the Club O2 where he taped the show. Some sat on the floor because all the comfortable furniture was out of viewing range. Club O2 is normally for teens and has a dance floor with everchanging colors.

Club O2 on Carnival Breeze

The number of people at the taping increased daily as more people discovered the whereabouts of the production, but we stopped in early on in the voyage when the audience consisted of a few huge fans….all women. John Heald even made a comment about a man in the audience as we sat patiently on a very uncomfortable bench waiting for our scheduled interview following the show.

John Heald on Carnival Breeze

Prior to meeting us, we had sent our business cards, giving him time to look up some of the things we have published online. I had set a blog about what to pack to autopost before we left, so at that time it was top of the que. He was quite impressed with the convertible pants, having never seen such a thing before. I’m not sure if they don’t have them in England where he hails from, or if he just does not frequent the sort of outdoor store that sells that sort of thing.

travel pants convert from pants to shorts

We got all sorts of great information in our interview. We had enough to make three separate videos. This one is about his favorite places on the Carnival Breeze.

For more of this interview, see Carnival Breeze -Things To Do and Best Kept Secrets, Life on a Cruise ship and Carnival Funships 2.0 and Left Behind By A Cruise Ship.

More interviews with John Heald: Gratuities, Rescue at Sea, Quick Fire Questions, American Table.

Posted in Breeze, Carnival, Shipboard Life | Tagged Breeze, Carnival, cruise, cruise director, John Heald, photos, video | 2 Comments

Norwegian Pearl Behind the Scenes Tour

Posted on May 18, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Pearl – view from the bridge

Sometimes cruise ships offer passengers an opportunity to take a behind the scenes tour. Some ships have galley tours open for anyone. Others offer a more comprehensive behind the scenes tour to a limited number of passengers. Passengers stroll past doors marked “crew only” on a daily basis. This tour offers the opportunity to see what lurks behind those mysterious doors. We were invited to take a behind the scenes tour on the Norwegian Pearl along with some other passengers.

galley worker

First we had a tour of the galley. It sits between the two main dining rooms. The galley has separate sections for various types of food.

workers in the meat room

meat defroster

Meat, fish, and poultry each have separate prep rooms so no cross-contamination can ever occur.

The meat has special cold lockers where it thaws at specific temperatures for preset times before use. In the bakery area they bake fresh breads daily so all bread consumed aboard the ship is always freshly made, including buns for the burgers and hot dogs.

whole roast pig for Bavarian lunch buffet

About the time we walked past a set of ovens, one of the galley crew pulled a whole roast pig out of one of them, destined for the special Bavarian lunch at the Great Outdoors buffet that day. Just the mention of the word Bavarian always makes me think of Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed town in Washington State.

one of many room-sized refrigerators on the Pearl

A serious of room-sized walk-in refrigerators and freezers hold everything from eggs to meat to fresh fruit. When one cruise ends, all new products load to the back so anything not consumed on the prior cruise gets used first.

our tour group walks down I-95

In the center of the ship the crew of the Pearl has a corridor they called I-95. It’s the longest corridor in the ship. For the crew, it is like a freeway where they can quickly move from one area of the ship to another and then take the appropriate stairway or elevator to get where they need to go. The crew has all sorts of secret passages and elevators where they can get from one place to another while bypassing anywhere passengers go.

Recycling on the Pearl

Down in the bowels of the ship an area exists for gathering recycling to offload in port.

cardboard baler

They have a special room to smash and bale things like cans and cardboard. Broken dishes sit in a box alongside the other recyclables. The ship even has its own water treatment plant. Cruise ships recycle everything that can possibly be recycled.

mountains of laundry washed daily on cruise ships

row of laundry carts between washers and dryers

Besides the expected large washers and dryers, the laundry area has all sorts of other interesting things. In addition to a multitude of towels and sheets, they will also wash clothes for passengers. Since the Pearl has no self-serve laundry facilities it is the only way to get clothes laundered other than hand washing.

jacket on the steamer

The laundry on the Pearl has large clothing presses, and some steam presses that blow the clothes up like a balloon while they steam. An ordinary jacket on the steamer almost resembles a space suit the way it puffs up.

the sheet folding machine sucks up a sheet

crew member loads a towel into the folding machine

Around a corner from the steamer, sheets, tablecloths and towels each have their own folding machines. The crew stuffs the item in one end of the machine and it comes out the other end folded uniformly with all other items of its type. That explains how everything on a stateroom steward’s cart is always folded exactly the same.

A door from the crew area opens directly backstage in the theater. Performers learn the shows on land, then new performers to a ship have a practice week on board before the prior cast leaves so they can adjust to the moving stage of a ship at sea.

behind the scenes tour crosses the stage during a rehearsal

The backstage area of the Pearl that we saw consisted of a very small area no bigger than a hallway, although there must be a place somewhere to keep costumes and stage sets. We just passed through a doorway from the crew area to the area directly behind the curtain where there wasn’t much to see, then exited through the theater where the passengers come in and out for shows.

instrument panels on the bridge

bridge on Norwegian Pearl

Up on the bridge, the chief navigation officer plots a course, which the captain must approve. Mostly the ship runs on autopilot, but if necessary officers can steer it. The Pearl has the usual mostly unused small wheel on a big ship. When the need to steer around a ship or whale or something arises they use a tiny joystick instead. The captain takes the helm during docking and is present on the bridge through any critical areas. Otherwise another member of the bridge crew often takes the helm. In addition to the central controls, each side of the bridge is equipped with controls for docking so the captain can stand on the side where the ship will dock. Each side also has a floor window where the captain looks down to align the ship with the dock.

cruise ships have tiny, mosty unused steering wheels

the usual tiny wheel on a big ship

Several years ago I took a cruise on the Norwegian Sun. It just happened that the very same captain, Captain Rune Edvin Myer, who captained the Sun at that time was captain of the Pearl on our Pearl cruise. Quite a coincidence for two cruises from opposite sides of the continent on different ships several years apart.

see the bridge whenever you want through the window of this room

bridge viewing room on Norwegian Pearl

The Pearl has a bridge viewing room, so any passenger at any time can view the bridge whenever they would like without having to take the behind the scenes tour to see it. The bridge viewing room contains a model of the ship in a glass case and nautical memorabilia on the walls.

Posted in Norwegian, Pearl, Shipboard Life | Tagged behind the scenes, below decks, bridge, cruise, cruise ship, cruise ship tour, galley, Norwegian Pearl, photos | 7 Comments

Carnival Breeze Comedy Brunch

Posted on May 11, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Breeze

A cruise on Carnival’s newest ship, the Breeze, includes the opportunity to experience a variety of the new 2.0 upgrades. The Breeze is the first ship to include all of them built in from the start. One is the comedy brunch. They held it several different times on sea days throughout our transatlantic cruise. The dining room stayed open for quite awhile, incorporating hours through both breakfast and lunch time. This allowed passengers the choice of eating early or late and still having the chance to experience the comedy brunch.

Comedy Brunch Menu

A special menu included both breakfast and lunch items and a few desserts, some of which we saw in the making on our galley tour. A basket of croissants, danishes, muffins and quick breads sat in the middle of the table in serve-yourself style. I tried some sort of delicious lemon bread that almost tasted like cake. I was happy to see the menu included my favorite Eggs Benedict. Of course I ordered that. I would have liked more hollandaise sauce. Usually the sauce runs in pools onto the plate, on these it seemed almost cooked onto the egg. I would guess that is because normally the Eggs Benedict are cooked to order, but at the comedy brunch they likely make them up in advance due to the sheer number of people eating them that day.

comedian

On the hour, a comedian comes out for a very short performance. They get a pre-recorded introduction from George Lopez because this is part of the Funships 2.0 upgrade. The Breeze is the first ship to have the complete 2.0 package, all built right in when the ship was made. The comedian tells a few jokes for what seemed like about 10 minutes or so. Kind of a teaser to introduce themselves. For a longer performance, they have evening shows with family friendly and late show options. No food with those, though they do serve drinks.

We quite enjoyed the comedy brunch, and the fact that some people could make lunch choices while others preferred to order breakfast. Since the ship does not limit the amount of entrees ordered, a really hungry guest could order both, though nobody at our table did. They seated us at a large round table right near where the comedian stood, so not only did we get a great view of the show, we also had an opportunity to meet some other passengers on the ship also seated at that table.

food served at Carnival Cruise comedy brunch

special soup for comedy brunch

besides the fancy stuff, the Comedy Brunch also had comfort food options like macaroni & cheese

Posted in Breeze, Carnival, Cruise Food, Shipboard Life | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Breeze, comedy, comedy brunch, cruise, cruise food, photos | 4 Comments

How to Fold a Towel Pigeon

Posted on May 4, 2013 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Towel Pigeon

How to Make a Towel Pigeon

Supplies Needed to Fold a Towel Pigeon

1. Bath Towel

2. Washcloth

3. Eyes and other desired decorations

Folding a Towel Pigeon

How to Make a Towel Pigeon Body

rolling up the towel hanging on a wall hook

Hang the center of one edge of the bath towel over a hook on the wall.

If you haven’t got any hooks on your wall you can tuck it under your chin to hold it instead.

Roll both edges of the towel as tightly as you possibly can. The end at the hook should come out small and tight, and may even curl a bit.

The wide end will have some extra towel hanging out, which will eventually become wings.

Once the towel is completely rolled lay it on a flat surface rolled sides down.

rolled towel

Starting from the wide end, and with the unrolled bits hanging out to the sides, roll the towel sort of into a ball.

roll tightly from the wide end

Tuck the narrow end in between the rolls while it still has enough unrolled for a head and neck.

tuck the narrow part between the rolls

Turn so the narrow bit sticks up and then bend the top down for the head.

making towel birds with MyCruiseStories.com

shape the tip into a head

How to Fold a Washcloth Pigeon Tail

Lay a washcloth out flat.

fold over one edge of the washcloth

Fold one side over an inch or so. Fold the folded side again and again accordion style so it somewhat looks like the folds of a fan.

keep making folds back and forth until the entire washcloth gets folded

When the entire washcloth is a stack of folds, fold it in half in the middle so it totally looks like a fan.

fold the folded washcloth in the middle fan-style

Insert the folded end between the rolled folds on the backside of the pigeon body.

insert washcloth between towel rolls

Finishing the Towel Pigeon

finished towel pigeon decorated with googly eyes and pipe cleaner feet

Decorate as desired. Mostly towel pigeons just get eyes. Bits of paper, felt or other cloth, or googly eyes all work fine. I rather liked the pipe cleaner feet I made for my penguin, so I made some for the pigeon as well.

How to Make Pipe Cleaner Feet for Towel Birds

start by folding one end of a pipe cleaner

Fold one end of the pipe cleaner over onto itself.

add a second fold the same length as the first

Make another fold where the doubled part ends. Fold again at the same height as the first one.

after adding the third fold it looks like a bird foot

Repeat for the other end. If the three folded bits do not all end up the same size, re-adjust the folds slightly one way or the other until they come out even. Or choose not to worry about it since the back end of the feet gets tucked under the bird anyway.

Next Towel Animal: Seal

towel seal

For instructions on how to fold all sorts of other towel animals click here or visit the towel animal page.

Posted in Towel Animals | Tagged crafts, cruise ship towel animals, photos, pigeon, towel animal, towel art, towel bird, towel folding, towel origami, towel pigeon | 10 Comments

Cruise Stories

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Accomodations on Holland America Westerdam

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2013

You Can Do Your Own Laundry On A Cruise

Dunn’s River Falls

Dunn’s River Falls

Ocho Rios

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More Posts About Jamaica

Carnival Breeze Waterworks

Mystic Mountain – Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Mystic Mountain

More Posts about Jamaica

Interview with John Heald: Best Places on Carnival Breeze

Norwegian Pearl Behind the Scenes Tour

Carnival Breeze Comedy Brunch

How to Fold a Towel Pigeon

How to Make a Towel Pigeon

Supplies Needed to Fold a Towel Pigeon

1. Bath Towel

2. Washcloth

3. Eyes and other desired decorations

Folding a Towel Pigeon

How to Make a Towel Pigeon Body

How to Fold a Washcloth Pigeon Tail

Finishing the Towel Pigeon

How to Make Pipe Cleaner Feet for Towel Birds

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