Paradise Point Skyride, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI

Posted on May 5, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Cruise Ships and Skyride from Paradise Point

A few steps from the cruise ship dock in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas US Virgin Islands, we found a taxi to town. After a bit of shopping we ended up on an unplanned random bus tour of the island. Luckily we still had a bit of time left after the tour because we really wanted to try the St. Thomas Skyride before returning to the Carnival Liberty.

paradise point tramway, Charlotte Amalie

tram leaving the lower station, Saint Thomas

Our random tour bus let us off at the entrance to the St. Thomas skyride near the cruise ship dock on the outskirts of Charlotte Amalie. Expecting tickets purchased on sight to cost less, we felt a bit surprised to find they actually cost $2 more than they would have if we’d bought them on the ship.

Just a couple people already stood on the platform waiting for the next tram, and one more joined us before it arrived. The tram comes in a group of 3 separate cars bunched together. They loaded each group into a separate one since there weren’t many of us. With a longer line, they’d have filled the cars full.

view from skyride

We took some nice photos during the 7 minute ride to the top. An open spot on the side of the tram car offered a place to take glass-free photos. At the terminal the trams moved slowly through a semi-circular track next to a paved walkway giving people plenty of time and space for everyone to get out.

St Thomas skyride upper tram station

A gazebo perched high on the hill near the Paradise Point tram station looked like a good spot for photos. After disembarking from the tram we walked up some wooden stairs and headed toward the gazebo on a walkway lined with fragrant flower bushes.

flower bushes alongside walkway to gazebo at Paradise Point

fragrant flowers

A bright colorful ferris wheel never moved while we were there. Whether it was not open or just didn’t have any customers at that time I don’t know. A short looped walkway had a pen with peacocks and goats, a few caged birds and a sign pointing the way to a nature trail we didn’t have time to hike.

Paradise Point amusement park

peahens

On the other side of the tram station we found a gift shop above a bar and restaurant. The balcony there offered great views of the cruise ships at the dock. While taking a picture, the tram cars went by. That balcony made a great place to photograph them as well.

view from the balcony at Paradise Point

Suddenly it started to rain. The sky around the boats misted up, making it hard to take any halfway decent pictures. We tried the old if you don’t like the weather wait 5 minutes trick. Sure enough the skies cleared up and we took some nice pictures. Besides the cruise ships, Paradise Point offers great views of Charlotte Amalie harbor, Water Island, the hillside covered in tropical plants, the ocean, and Puerto Rico.

cactus by the nature trail at Paradise Point

A small group of heavily panting people joined us on the platform, appearing somewhat exhausted after having walked up the very steep 700-foot high hill rather than riding the Paradise Point Tramway.

near upper tram station

People say Paradise Point has great night views, however due to the scheduled time of our ship’s departure we could not stay to see that as we did not wish to miss the boat.

Photo taken inside tram car through the glass in the rain

We caught the tram back down. About half way there the wind kicked up and it started raining again. The open bit above the door glass that came in so handy for picture taking on the way up became a place for cold rain to blow in on the way down. Rain from which the tram had no place to escape, the raindrops hitting us no matter where we chose to stand within the limited confines of the tram car. By the time we got to the bottom, the rain poured down heavily and the wind blew, rocking the tram cars back and forth as they made their way back up the hill.

Feeling quite glad we had gotten out of the tram before the wind got quite so bad, we tried standing under the roof of the tram station for awhile, hoping the 5 minute thing would work again, but it didn’t. We had to hike the short distance back to the cruise ship dock in a downpour. Once we reached the shopping area we sheltered under overhangs wherever possible. By the time we reached the ship we were soaked. After waiting through the usual line to get back in and passing through the security check, we hurried back to our room for dry clothes.

Carnival Liberty in St Thomas

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Liberty, Shore Excursions | Tagged Carnival, Charlotte Amalie, cruise, island, Paradise Point, photos, skyride, St Thomas, tram, travel, view | 8 Comments

Random Bus Tour on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Posted on April 28, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Liberty docked in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

We got off Carnival Liberty on a beautiful sunny day in St. Thomas without any definite plans other than going on the skyride at some point. Sometimes we plan an excursion, but at other ports we just get off the boat and see what’s there. A slew of taxis waited by the dock, loading groups of passengers in a taxi van for a $4 trip to town. We hopped in, unfortunately the first ones in that van, so we had to wait for others to join in and fill it up before it left for town.

tourist shopping district, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

The van let everyone off in the touristy shopping district. We got out next to the shop that had free tanzanite earrings for people who had cards from the port shopping lecture. After visiting a few other stores to collect the free things they offered to entice shoppers in so they could try and get them to spend money, we wandered down to the road on the waterfront. We took a few photos of the Carnival Liberty, some including the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships docked near us.

Jewelry booth in St. Thomas

John spied a little flea market across the road set up under a sea of blue tents. Before we had time to look at much of anything, a little old local guy said he had a bus tour leaving in 10 minutes. We like random bus tours, and they’re cheap, so we signed up. We had just time to look at one booth before getting on the bus. I found a Larimar bracelet I liked for $10. Unfortunately it did not have the best clasp and I lost it at the airport on the way home.

random bus tour

Within minutes of getting on the bus, it started sprinkling a bit. We timed that right, getting under shelter since we left the boat in bright sunshine and had not dressed for rain. About as quickly as it started, the rain stopped and the sun shone again.

Saint Thomas has some pretty big hills with narrow roads winding steeply up, down, and through many Y-style intersections. When a truck passes by a bus, somebody hangs off into the dirt on the side of the road in some places because even though it is a two lane street it is not wide enough for large vehicles going both directions. That did not seem to bother any of the drivers. They’re used to it, they drive those roads every day. On the wrong side. The island did not always belong to the USA, so they drive on the opposite side like people in England or Australia.

Magens Bay from above

First the bus stopped at a viewpoint on a hillside where we got some nice pictures of the ship from above. Next we viewed Magens Bay. From there we could also see St. John and Tortola. St. John belongs to the US, but Tortola is British. We came in on the Caribbean side of the island. From the viewpoint above Magens Bay we looked out on the Atlantic side. The Virgin Islands lie at the border of the two seas. A little old guy with a donkey hung around that viewpoint, making his living from people who would give him a few bucks to pose for pictures. Some interesting plants grew there as well.

Local’s homes in St Thomas

After a short trip downhill, the bus pulled into a parking lot. From the balcony behind a small local fast food place and gift shop, our guide pointed out areas on the hillsides and in the valley where local people live and shop. The gift shop had a shirt that would have been the perfect gift for my son, Chris, if it had not had long sleeves.

too bad this wasn’t a t-shirt

Finally he took us to Iggies Beach Bar at Bolongo Bay. He said the resort next to it was the top resort of the area. It looked pretty peaceful. It had a nice sandy beach, lots of iguanas wandering around, a hammock strung between two coconut trees for laying in the sun, and jet skies sitting in the serene blue water of the cove with a kayak paddling around behind them. If anyone wanted to stay for a swim and join the next tour through on that bus, they had that option. One family considered it, but then decided not to because they did not want to get left that far from the boat in case the next tour ran later than planned. We had some time to relax on the beach, taking photos and testing the hammock. Some of the other people tested the drinks at Iggies bar instead.

Iggies Beach Bar at Bolongo Bay

After the tour, the driver dropped most of the other people at the shopping mall near the cruise ship dock and the rest a bit closer to the ship. We stayed on the bus just a bit longer than everyone else. He let us off in front of the St. Thomas Skyride on his way back to town.

Lizard at Bolongo Bay

beach at Bolongo Bay

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Liberty, Port Cities, Ports of Call, Shore Excursions | Tagged Bolongo Bay, bus tour, cruise, larimar, Magens Bay, port shopping, shore excursion, St Thomas, tanzanite, travel | 9 Comments

Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Posted on April 21, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Liberty in Saint Thomas

The US Virgin Islands include St. John and St. Croix along with St. Thomas. They create the boarder between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, 40 miles east of Puerto Rico and 1100 miles southeast of Miami. Cruise ships from a variety of cruise lines including Carnival stop in the port at Charlotte Amalie, the capitol city of St. Thomas. The city got its name from a Danish queen in the 1600’s when the island belonged to Denmark. The US bought it in 1917 as an outpost to help protect their control of the Panama Canal during World War 1.

view of St Thomas from Carnival Liberty

Shore Excursions offered in St. Thomas include a variety of snorkel or dive options and trips to nearby St. John, most of which is a National Park with the pristine beauty of undeveloped land and beaches. St. Thomas has a number of island or shopping tours and some powerboat options. Other choices include beaches, dolphins, kayaks, golf, or a pirate castle. The St. Thomas Skyride is both popular and inexpensive. Quite a cluster of gift shops sits right near the dock, and the skyride is within walking distance as well.

Many passengers choose to explore on their own, often piling into one of the many taxis waiting near the dock. Group taxi vans fill quickly with whoever comes by. They take the group to the main part of town, each passenger paying a lower fare for the shared cab and choosing where they wish to get out. Those who prefer not to share or not to wait for a van to fill can take a private cab if they don’t mind paying the price.

Waterfront, Charlotte Amalie

The main tourist shops in town lie just a short cab ride away from the dock. Besides all the usual cruise port shops on the main street, we found a group of local booths nearby under a tented roof by the water. They sold local handcrafted items including blue jewelry from the Caribbean stone Larimar. We would have liked to look around the booths a bit more, but got an offer of a random bus tour of the island for $20, which left nearly right away.

Shopping Booths

St. Thomas has many jewelry stores to choose from and some great deals on prices, making it an excellent place for jewelry shopping. Jewelry lovers who attend the port shopping talks on board also find out where to get things for free. They will say only to shop at the cruise ship approved stores, but often the others have some excellent deals. The main difference is the guarantee given by the ship on merchandise from the stores which have paid the fee for approval and promotion by the ships, though things can cost less at the ones that haven’t.

St. Thomas has an average temperature of 77 degrees Farenheit. It has great beaches, with coral reefs close to shore for snorkeling from the beach. Magen’s Bay is listed as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. I’m not a golfer, but if I was I would boycott any oceanside golf course, including Mahogany Run on St. Thomas because fertilizer kills coral and coral has enough trouble trying to survive these days in the warmer more acidic oceans we’ve created.

Charlotte Amalie at night

The Virgin Islands have a long and often bloody history. Like much of the Caribbean, they were once occupied by the peaceful Arawaks, who were already under attack by the violent Caribs before the Europeans arrived. Columbus discovered and named the Virgin Islands on his second voyage. It was all downhill for both tribes after that. Spaniards raided the Virgin Islands for slaves and many died off from European diseases they had no immunities to or fled to Cuba. By the time other European nations came to colonize the islands, none remained and colonists brought in their own African slaves to work the plantations.

Pirates found haven on St. Thomas, loving the deep port at what is now Charlotte Amalie. Blackbeard and Bluebeard both get mention in island lore. Bluebeard’s castle has become a resort.

The Danish first colonized the island, building a fort and plantations. Slave labor made the plantations profitable. The deep harbor made an excellent trading port, with taverns and warehouses built around the harbor. Initially St. Thomas was a safe haven for pirates, the residents profiting from trading with them. After piracy no longer affected the economy the port remained busy until the abolition of slavery due to its status as a duty-free port.

Shopping District, Charlotte Amalie

Hurricanes, fires, and a tidal wave hit Charlotte Amalie in the late 1800’s to early 1900’s. The former warehouses once full of trade goods sat empty, abandoned, and in great need of repair for years until finding new life rebuilt as shops for tourists.

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Liberty, Port Cities, Ports of Call | Tagged Charlotte Amalie, cruise, photos, port, shopping, St Thomas, travel, US Virgin Islands | 7 Comments

Gluten-Free Flour Mixes

Posted on April 18, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Gluten-Free Chocolate Melting Cake

I don’t normally re-blog things other people write. In fact this is the first time I have ever done that, but this is just really good information. The blog it came from, called gluten free mommy, doesn’t seem to have had a new post in several years. So it might just be time to share this valuable information I found while searching for a good gluten free cake flour for the gluten free chocolate melting cake.

Gluten Free Grains 101: The Best Flour Blend

caketorte Gluten Free Grains 101: The Best Flour Blend

GLUTEN FREE FLOUR 101

Gluten Free Mommy Blog Readers’ Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a 1:1 flour substitution for wheat flour?

No. Gluten free flours work best in baking (most of the time) when they are used in combination with each other. However, there are some exceptions- recipes that call for a small amount of flour (like Orange Almond brownies) may work well with a 1:1 brown rice flour substitution. Another example where you wouldn’t need a gluten-free flour mix combination would be when thickening a sauce like my Green Bean Casserole recipe– sweet rice flour would be a fine 1:1 substitution in that instance.

When going gluten-free, how did you pick which flours to buy first?

Unfortunately, there is not a one-size fits all solution! You need to decide what is important to you when you start experimenting with flour mixes.

Typical considerations:

glycemic index- this would be a good thing for everyone to consider but especially diabetic celiacs or those trying to lose weight.

additional allergies- if you have to adhere to a casein-free or nut-free diet, you would obviously need to take this in consideration when picking a mix.

taste- not everyone likes the same things! For example, whole grain teff flour tastes great to me in a lot of cakes, but some of my readers prefer not to use teff because they personally don’t like the taste it imparts on some baked goods.

whole grain- getting enough whole grains is on everyone’s mind these days. I try to utilize whole grain flours in my gluten-free baking mix to make sure my family is getting the daily whole grains they need.

performance- this simply means how well your mix performs. Is the cake moist? How is the texture? Does it taste good? Some people make sure to use all whole grains in their flour mix- I will occasionally compromise this (for example: in the case of tapioca flour) if I feel the overall recipe will be better for it. In my opinion, a cupcake is not supposed to be completely good for you.

digestion- some people do not tolerate certain flours well. I don’t use bean flours at all. Enough said there!

cost- some flours are more expensive than others

availability- with online stores this is becoming less of an issue, but I like to have some local sources to buy gluten-free flour as well

Should you just buy a store-bought pre-made mix or make your own?

Pre-made mixes work well for a lot of people. Pamela’s Baking Mix can be a great all-purpose gluten-free flour, but there are drawbacks. It can be expensive and I find that my own homemade mixes perform better than Pamela’s- for example, my pumpkin pancake experiment. Another popular mix is Bob’s Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten Free Mix, but the bean flour keeps me far away from that gluten-free flour mix.

Where do you store your flours?

flour Gluten Free Grains 101: The Best Flour Blend I keep my gluten-free flours in the refrigerator in canisters for a longer shelf life (whole grain flours do get rancid because they haven’t been over-processed and stripped of their nutrition like regular all-purpose flour) and because it is more convenient for me. Some people do fine with their pantry because they use the flours so quickly and they may have limited refrigerator space. I use labeled canisters because my fridge looks neater and it is easier to prevent messy flour spills. I know some people who handle it beautifully, but I could never get the hang of it and I ended up with a wad of 12 different zip lock bags in the fridge. If you pre-make your flour-mix all you need is one zip lock bag or one canister, but since I am always experimenting or using different flours I have one canister of pre-made mix and keep the flours in separate canisters also.

Where do you buy your flours?

I typically buy my flours from Whole Foods or Amazon. I have heard it is cheaper to buy some of the rice flours from a local Asian grocery store, but I have not researched this locally. Call it laziness! Since Amazon sells some of my “must-have” gluten-free flours (and I am a total cookbook addict), I am going to try Amazon Prime to make faster shipping more affordable. Even though some of the gluten-free products are not eligible because they are sold through third-parties, I think it will be worth it for me since we tend to order a lot of gluten-free flour from the Bob’s Red Mill and Arrowhead Mills brand that are eligible and other odds and ends throughout the year. I love the convenience of online shopping, especially now that I have two little ones under two.

How do you measure gluten-free flour?

scale Gluten Free Grains 101: The Best Flour Blend This may sound like a silly question because it is essentially the same as measuring regular all-purpose wheat flour. However, when making two batches of banana bread I looked down and saw that I had done a bad job measuring my flours. It was visibly obvious! I went out and bought a Salter scale to measure my flours by weight! This has helped me be more consistent with my measuring- especially with tapioca flour and potato starch! It is important to measure well, so you end up with just the right amount of flour and a good finished product. Update: For the denser flours, I do use different weight measurements. I am coming up with a chart for this and it will be available soon.

Is it important to sift gluten-free flour?

I always sift my gluten-free flour to make sure I do not end up with pockets of one type of flour or pockets of xanthan gum or baking powder. I bought a sifter for this purpose, but you can use a whisk too!

Do you have a gluten-free baking mix?

I am not using a baking mix right now because I am in experimentation mode. However, I love equal parts sorghum flour, tapioca flour, and brown rice flour for cakes, muffins, and quick breads. I made my No Frills Chocolate Cake with that combination. I also like teff flour thrown in that mix- my Chocolate Pumpkin Cake is an example. I am using more sweet rice flour now and I am experimenting with millet flour.

How long can I store my gluten-free flour?

Most gluten-free flours, such as brown rice flour, will keep in the refrigerator for four or five months. Gluten-free flour can be kept in the freezer for up to a year. Before you buy a large amount of flour, make sure to consider if you will use it in this time frame.

Is there a “magic blend” of gluten-free flours that will work for all recipes?

Unfortunately, no! For optimal results, I think it is best for your muffin, cake, or brownie gluten-free baking mix to look very different from the one you use for pizza or bread! That is why I keep a lot of my flours separate so that I can mix them around as needed for recipes. On this blog, I spell out exactly which flours I use in each recipe so that you will know. It is hard with so many choices out there, but I have come to think of my flours as a collection! tee hee.

Which flours do you always have on hand?

Sorghum flour, Tapioca flour, Brown Rice Flour, Cornstarch, Teff, Cornmeal, and Sweet Rice Flour. Yikes!

GLUTEN FREE FLOURS

Sorghum Flour: Some people describe the taste as nutty, others describe it as bland or tasteless. I think it adds a great texture to baked goods, along with valuable protein. It is a very popular flour in the gluten free community and one that I use frequently. Authentic Foods Sorghum Flour at Amazon
White Rice Flour/Brown Rice Flour–: These are interchangeable in recipes. The brown rice flour is whole grain and is therefore better for you. If you are concerned about the food budget, buy white rice flour. It is cheaper to buy white rice flour at ethnic grocery stores than your health food store. Rice Flour is great for making a roux and as part of a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix. In recipes that call for a small amount of flour, I normally just throw in rice flour. Brown Rice Flour at Amazon

Sweet Rice Flour-: this is my preferred flour for making a roux. It is an excellent addition to any baking mix and wonderful in pizza and breads. I have started using this flour a lot recently. The almond torte (pic above) was made with a little bit of sweet rice flour. A must-have!Authentic Foods Sweet Rice Flour at Amazon
Tapioca Starch/Flour-: A great binder in baked goods when used in combination with other flours. It is also a great thickener for sauces. The great thing about tapioca flour is that it will thicken at a low temperature. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two years, but I go through a box in about three weeks! Tapioca Flour at Amazon

Potato Starch-: Not to be confused with potato flour, potato starch is a wonderful thickener and can tolerate higher temperatures than cornstarch. It adds moisture to baked goods. A lot of mainstream flourless chocolate cakes recipes contain potato starch.
Authentic Foods Potato Starch at Amazon
Arrowroot Starch-: This is generally considered the most neutral tasting thickener, but it is definitely the priciest! Use arrowroot for acidic sauces. I rarely use this one. I used it at Thanksgiving this year to thicken our gravy, but I may go another route next year. I know a lot of you use it on an occasional basis, so I thought I would mention it here.
Authentic Foods Arrowroot Flour at Amazon
Teff flour-: This whole grain flour has a mild, nutty, and almost sweet flavor. It imparts a moistness in gluten-free baking. Whole Grain Teff Flour at Amazon
Buckwheat Flour –: I stock this flour just so that I can make homemade buckwheat pancakes and waffles occasionally. It is also good as part of a flour combination in muffins and quick breads see my; Buckwheat Sweet Potato Bread recipe.
Organic Buckwheat Flour at Amazon
Quinoa flour-: I like baking with this flour because it gives baked goods a nuttier taste. Quinoa flour is wonderfully healthy; it contains a complete protein. I think quinoa flour also lends more moisture to gluten-free baked goods.
Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flour at Amazon
Certified oat flour-: This flour can be used in baked goods. Make sure you buy oat flour that has been certified gluten-free. I rarely buy this flour because I only tolerate oats on an occasional use basis. Lara’s Oat Flour at glutenfree.com
Coconut flour-: This flour adds moisture to baked goods. It is a great addition to chocolate desserts! Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour at Amazon
Almond Meal-: This meal/flour adds moisture and protein to baked goods. I use it in baked goods all the time. The cake above was made with almond meal, sweet rice flour, and brown rice flour. It is also great for making pie crusts or cheesecake crusts!
Bob’s Red Mill Almond Meal/Flour at Amazon
Hazelnut Meal-: This meal/flour also adds protein and moisture to baked goods. I make a hazelnut cheesecake and use hazelnut meal for my cookie crust. I buy it for specialty desserts only. Bob’s Red Mill All-Natural Hazelnut Meal/Flour at Amazon

****This is by no means an exhaustive list, but I hope it gets you on your way to your own personal practically perfect gluten free flour blend!****

MORE GLUTEN FREE BAKING NECESSITIES

Xanthan Gum–: This works wonders for gluten-free baked goods. It is expensive, but you only use a little at a time. I only use about a teaspoon for quick bread! It is a great binder. I keep this in a canister. If it spills, do not get it wet because it becomes very sticky and hard to remove. To remove xanthan gum once it has hardened, I use a spatula.
Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum at Amazon
Baking Soda-: I like Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda.
Baking Powder-: Make sure it is aluminum-free and gluten-free. Featherweight Baking Powder is gluten-free and also corn-free. Make sure your baking powder is less than six months old.; Go check out more gluten free flour mixes at Gluten Free Cooking School.

Posted in Randoms, recipes | Tagged baking, best gluten-free flour, flour, gluten free, gluten free flour mix | 4 Comments

How to Fold a Cruise Ship Hanging Towel Monkey

Posted on April 14, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Towel Monkey Hanging Around Carnival Liberty’s Alchemy Bar

The hanging towel monkey is one of the all-time favorites of cruise ship passengers. Most towel monkeys hang around cruise ship staterooms. Ours took a tour of the ship on the Carnival Liberty, and with these directions it’s almost like the little rascal climbed into the suitcase and came home with us.

towel origami, how to make a towel monkey

Robomonkey

After watching Astika, our Carnival stateroom steward, fold a hanging towel monkey John decided to try folding a monkey of his own. He thought it looked great. I thought it looked like a towel robot monkey. I referred to it as Robomonkey for the rest of the cruise.

Start the monkey with the standard body, same as the rabbit, frog, gorilla, or crab.

Lay a large bath towel out flat. Roll each end to the middle from the short sides. Start by folding over just a small bit of towel at the beginning of the roll and make the rolls not too tight, yet not loose either.

pull the tips out of each roll

Fold the rolled towel in half with the rolls to the outside.

pull ends of rolls tightly into body with 4 legs

Pull the tips out of the end of each roll. Hold the two tip ends of one roll in one hand and the other roll in the other and let your two hands have a tug-o-war while they pull the ends of the rolls until the layers pull tight and it turns into the body of your four-legged creature of choice. For more details and photos for folding animal bodies, Click onto the links for the rabbit or gorilla. Both of those blogs have more detailed information on folding the standard animal body.

step 2 fold over one side of triangle

instructions for making a hanging towel monkey

step 1 fold the washcloth in half corner to corner like a triangle

On the ship, Astika hung the monkey into the metal framework bordering the cabin ceiling. Obviously people don’t have this at home. We tied the tips of the monkey’s arms together with a small rope and took it all over the ship hanging it in different places for photos and that worked great. You can tie its arms together, or use clothespins and hang it on a clothes hanger. Hang the body up as desired.

step 4 flip over so folded part is underneath

step 3 fold over other side

Use a washcloth to make the head. Lay the washcloth flat and then fold it in half into a triangle.

Fold one of the short sides of the triangle up toward the peak, but not quite all the way to the end. Repeat with the other side.

Flip it over so the folds you just made are on the underside, with the tips of the two folds you just made pointing toward you, although you can’t see them since they are on the bottom. It now somewhat resembles a square.

step 6 fold in half

step 5 fold up the bottom of the square so it becomes a triangle again

Fold up the corner closest to you, the one with your previous folds underneath so the folded tips are now on top. Again not quite in half, the corner tip of this fold does not quite meet the far corner.

Fold in half, with the part on top to the inside of the fold. The open edges of all the folded bits point downward on the inside of the folded head so that the narrower portion becomes the top of the head and the wider portion the bottom.

finished monkey

point all the open edges downward so widest part becomes bottom of head

Turn head around and pinch or pull things a bit to bring face to the desired shape.

Insert the head into the pocket of space between the folds of towel that extend from the arms to the legs on the top of the hanging body.

Nestle the head tightly into the hollow between the arms.

shape head as desired

Make any more adjustments desired to the face shape, body position, or to close any gaps between the longer folds of towel over the middle of the body.

insert head between the long folds

Decorate as desired with eyes or other embellishments. Eyes can be made from bits of paper or felt or use googly eyes if you have them. Paper or felt will stick to the towel, but googly eyes need tape. Double stick works best.

Next up in the towel animal folding series: Snakes. Though not actually part of the series from Carnival, I’ve had requests for a one-towel animal so the next towel blog up is snakes.

Towel Snake

Other towel folding blogs: towel seal, towel cake, more towel animals.

Posted in Towel Animals | Tagged art, crafts, cruise, entertainment, fun, photos, towel animals, towel folding, video | 10 Comments

Half Moon Cay Revisited

Posted on April 7, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Liberty at Half Moon Cay

I really hoped Half Moon Cay would redeem itself on this year’s visit. On last year’s Holland America Westerdam cruise we sailed in under sunny skies on a bright blue sea. This year the Carnival Liberty arrived in the dark blue waters of heavy winds and stormy seas. After nearly canceling the tenders, they finally ran when switched to the opposite side of the boat. Loading people on took a bit of effort with the tender bobbing wildly up and down and thumping loudly into the side of the boat. The crew had some painting to do at the next port where the tenders rubbed black tire marks on and paint off. Crews from cruise ships are often spotted painting anchor chain rub lines, tender scrapes, or anything else that mars the pristine appearance of their ship whenever it docks.

Horses Not Swimming at Half Moon Cay

Last year we tried the horseback by land and sea excursion, disappointed when the horses didn’t actually swim. Then we rented snorkel gear, only to get herded to shore by a life guard just as we got out far enough to spot a stingray. Parasailing saved our day though as the wonderful boat crew gave us an excellent ride, catering to all our wishes in search of interesting photos. I had an extra-long ride as John took photos that appeared as if I would land on the ship or skim the water. Sometimes I even remembered to put the camera down and actually look around to enjoy the view. This time the parasail boats stayed tied firmly to the dock. With winds at 30 knots, nobody could go up safely.

Holland America Westerdam at Half Moon cay

Parasailing over the Westerdam

We tried to wait long enough for the crowed to thin before catching a tender to shore, but with the slow-moving process that did not happen. Waiting in the lounge with the rest of the people with tender stickers displaying numbers indicating when their turn to go to shore would come according to the time they had arrived, we thought it might be nice if they had provided some sort of entertainment. A family-friendly comedian perhaps, or some sort of cruise trivia similar to what movie theaters do with movie trivia on the screen to entertain the early arrivers before the movie starts. Most of the passengers seemed to manage to entertain themselves though, even the kids sat quietly other than the noise from their handheld video games.

tender at Half Moon Cay

Finally our number got called and we headed down to the door where they let people board the smaller boat. On the way into the dock at Half Moon Cay, the tender crunched into the rock wall lining the narrow channel to the tender pier. Apparently unharmed, it continued on its way after the crew pushed it off the wall. It docked in a different spot this year. Last year we got off from the side of the tender. Now they built a new dock where they could just open up the front of the boat and let the crowd pour out. This definitely speeds up the process of getting people on and off the tender on the shore end of things. There’s nothing anyone could do about the weather slowing things down on the ship.

Carnival Cruise port stop, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

dessert table at Half Moon Cay Barbecue

We checked the large map posted on a sign at the entrance to the island to make sure we remembered where to find the snorkel area we had discovered on a paper map after returning to the Westerdam last year. Then we followed the path to the island barbeque. Last year we had a busy schedule and never took the time to eat. This time we wanted to give the very popular lunch a try. The menu included garden burgers, along with hot dogs, hamburgers, jerked chicken and an assortment of side dishes, fresh fruit, and desserts. The garden burgers tasted quite good. We had enough lunch to not want dinner later that night on the ship.

Pirate Ship Bar at Half Moon Cay

After lunch we investigated the pirate ship bar, which had been under construction last year. We found lots of places to take pictures, mostly of the Liberty. As we exited through the door on the beach side, the same crew member who announces the comedy show started getting a hairy man contest going. Several contestants came right away, whether of their own accord or talked into it by their companions. It looked like the crowd had a good time with that, but we did not stay to watch. Instead we set off down the beach toward the snorkel area, armed with our own snorkel gear we bought online prior to this trip. It’s getting quite a bit of use. I just need to get some of that mask defogger they had on the snorkel boat at Grand Cayman.

Inside the Pirate Ship Bar

The map showed the snorkel area just past the Private Oasis Cabana. We dropped our bags on a beach chair and entered the water near the kid’s playground. We swam out to the area where we saw other people snorkeling. It looks like someone has added some structure to the bottom there in hopes of creating fish habitat or some sort of artificial reef. Several piles of branches and some suspiciously manmade looking rocks with lots of nooks and crannies for fish to hide seemed to do the job quite nicely as we saw several schools of pretty good sized fish.

Shooting the ship (with my camera) from Pirate Ship Bar

Overall, we had more fun at Half Moon Cay this year. Better yet we did not spend any money there. Considering we had now entered the second half of a back-to-back cruise, we felt a bit tapped out on funds for shore excursions on this round. A lot of people opt just to lie on the beach. A pretty good option for people who like that sort of thing considering the white sand, blue water, and abundant supply of beach chairs lining a long stretch of beach in neat tidy rows. Some passengers enjoy lying on the beach at every port stop, but we normally prefer to do something.

Beach at Half Moon Cay

Temperatures at Half Moon Cay range from 68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The language (as in all of the Bahamas) is English and because a cruise line owns this island, the ship’s sign & sail card works as currency for any purchases made in its shopping area.

Other shore excursions offered at Half Moon Cay include private cabana rentals, glass bottomed boat rides or offshore snorkeling, biking or guided walking tours around the island, fishing, stingray adventure, kayaking, an eco lagoon tour, or riding a personal watercraft.

waterslide on Lido Deck of Carnival Liberty

We came back to the ship in wet swimsuits, so we decided to take a trip or two down the waterslide. Then we went to sit in the adults-only hot tub on the serenity deck (a popular choice with our shipmates as well.) We loved the Serenity deck. Great view from the hot tub there.

Serenity Deck Hot Tub

That night the ship rocked us to sleep as we left the Bahamas, making our way toward St. Thomas. We woke up the next morning to blue skies and far less motion from the ship. Usually these large boats don’t rock too much, but we have seen it before occasionally when the seas get rough. It’s pretty funny watching other passengers stagger down the halls like a bunch of drunks, even if you are doing it yourself. Rough seas really show off the talent of the performers in the stage show when none of them fall as the stage bobs up and down throughout their act.

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Liberty, Ports of Call | Tagged Bahamas, beach, Caribbean, cruise, cruise food, island, photos, snorkel, travel | 8 Comments

Spaces and Places Around The Ship on Carnival Liberty

Posted on March 31, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Carnival Liberty

Carnival Liberty’s 2.0 upgrades brought a lot of great new spaces and entertainment options to the ship. In addition, it had some pretty nice places already. I covered the 2.0 upgrades in a previous blog, this one is about other great things the ship has to offer.

Movie screen on the Lido Deck

Dive In Movies

A movie screen looms large above Guy’s Burger Joint, Blue Iguana and the Red Frog. Each night after dark different movies play under the stars at the Seaside Theater. The chairs around the pool area are arranged in different levels just like a regular movie theater so everyone can see. They also double as chairs to sit and sun in, or a place to set things while in the pool, hot tub, or on the waterslide during the day.

food from Mongolian Wok on Lido Deck

Mongolian Wok

The Lido deck includes a variety of different little mini-restaurants serving different types of food. One is a Mongolian Wok station where you load up a bowl of your choices of veggies and noodles, then the cook grills while you watch, adding your choice of meat and sauce. None of the Lido restaurants cost extra, not even the new places like Guy’s Burger Joint or the Blue Iguana Cantina (not to be confused with the Blue Iguana bar, because drinks do cost extra.)

Sushi Bar

Sushi Bar

Each evening the Sushi bar on deck 5 opens up for a few hours. Chris, Liza and John like sushi, but passed it by most of the cruise assuming it cost extra. It didn’t, which they found out in time to give it a try. They had a limited selection, but one really can’t complain when it’s free.

Waterslide

Water Slide

The Liberty has a slide that would be pretty good even on dry land. Considering it is on a ship with limited space, they did a really good job making a fun salt-water slide. We all liked it well enough to go right back up for another turn several times. After sliding we made use of the nice hot tub underneath the slide. On the way up we also discovered a ping pong table.

Piano Bar

Piano Bar

The piano bar included a whole piano-themed room with a real piano in the center. Different colored lights brighten up the surroundings when the piano man entertains passengers late into the evening.

Looking down the Atrium

Atrium

Carnival Liberty has a gorgeous atrium with glass elevators. Sometimes they have performances or games in the lobby at the bottom. Once we saw two young kids (probably about 7-9) dancing beautifully there. They drew a crowd of onlookers on every level. There’s a bar at the lobby there, and just around the corner guest services and the shore excursion desk, where we booked our excellent wreck and reef snorkel adventure over the sunken USS Kittiwake in Grand Cayman.

John tries out the mini-golf course

Mini Golf

Up on top of the ship, all around Carnival’s signature funnel sits a variety of holes making up a mini golf course. Passengers can check out golf balls and clubs free at the towel hut near the midship pool.

Theater

More

Like most cruise ships, the Liberty has an assortment of hot tubs and pools, plenty of different bars, spa, casino, 24 hour food and a couple theaters. The big theater hosts the nightly production shows, the smaller one things like comedy shows and art auctions. Like most cruise ships, the Liberty also has Carnival’s usual kid’s programs with Camp Carnival, Circle C and Club O2.

fitness center

Work Out at Sea

And to work off all that delicious cruise food, there’s a gym, sport court, and track.

spa treatment room

Spa

In the spa you can get a variety of treatments including massages and acupuncture. Or visit the hair styling salon. Of course, everything at the spa costs extra except the introductory tour on the first day and the short trial massage they give to entice people to take the tour in hopes they sign up for something.

waiters singing in Golden Olympian dining room

Dining Rooms

Carnival Liberty has two main dining rooms, the Golden Olympian and Silver Olympian. We had the your time dining, which was in the Golden Olympian lower level. People who prefer the traditional early or late seating where they have the same table with the same people at the same time each night can choose that option, but we like the freedom the your time dining offered.

Sometimes the wait staff sang or danced to entertain diners and one night a strolling magician performed tricks tableside. We had great multi-course meals nightly, and tried Carnival’s tasty signature dessert, the chocolate melting cake. We also made a couple visits to the Silver Olympian where they served breakfast, lunch, and on Sea Days, afternoon tea. Afternoon tea must be the best kept secret on Carnival because the time we went not very many people showed up, and they served the some of the best goodies we had during the whole cruise.

We did not try the steakhouse, or the chef’s table tour and dining experience, both of which cost extra so, I don’t have anything to say about them other than that they exist.

Posted in Carnival, Liberty, Shipboard Life | Tagged Carnival, Carnival Liberty, cruise, cruise ship, Liberty, photos, travel | 4 Comments

Back to Back Cruises

Posted on March 24, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Sunrise at the Port of Miami

Early in the morning on the last day of the western Caribbean cruise the Carnival Liberty glided slowly down the narrow channel into the Port of Miami under the rising sun. Chris and Liza’s cruise had come to an end, but John and I had another week to go.

Chris and Liza had a fairly late flight, so they stayed on the boat as long as they could. They had looked into the luggage service the ship offered where they would deliver bags to the airport so people with later flights could venture out on their own unencumbered. They decided that the cost of the luggage service, plus a cab somewhere, plus the cost of doing something and another cab to the airport was more than they wanted to spend so they ended up just hanging out at the airport for the day.

It’s too bad we didn’t look into the shore excursions offered for Miami. Book one of those and it takes care of delivering luggage, rides to the tour and to the airport, and something to do besides. For less than it would have cost them to do something on their own. In some cases they could have got the whole tour for about what the luggage service would have cost them. Just goes to show it pays to investigate all options in advance.

Miami

Miami has a lot to do for anyone who cares to stay long enough to experience it. Besides the famous South Beach, Art Deco District, restaurants and shopping, Miami has numerous tourist attractions including air boat rides, seaquarium, zoo and other animal exhibits, parks and beaches, museums, and mansion or estate tours. Miami includes a variety of different neighborhoods such as Little Havana and Little Haiti. The temperature in Miami averages in the 80’s year round.

We took a one-week cruise last year and totally did not want to get off the boat when it ended so this year we wanted to take a longer one. We also wanted to cruise with Chris and Liza, who could just do one week. So we tried the back-to-back Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises on the Carnival Liberty.

All the people leaving the ship had to vacate their rooms by 8:30am. Some left earlier, getting off the boat as soon as they could to catch early flights. We had the same room for the next week, so Chris and Liza moved any luggage they hadn’t left out for the crew to remove the night before to our room as they were in no hurry to leave. This gave us a bit of time to prowl the halls looking for open doors so I could take pictures of a variety of rooms for a blog about choosing a cabin.

taking photos in the bathroom of the megasuite

I envisioned having lots of time on the ship with almost no passengers on it, but it did not turn out that way. The people that stayed for the next cruise had to meet in the atrium lobby to go through customs as a group. We said good-bye to Chris and Liza and they left the ship while we settled in on a couch to wait with the other back-to-backers. Meanwhile a few passengers who couldn’t be bothered to get off the boat on schedule delayed our passage as we sat in the lobby for about half an hour past the time they planned to take us through customs while the crew made announcements calling their names over the loudspeakers and searched the ship for them until the last pair finally left. By then new passengers had already started making their way through customs, as well as folks coming aboard just for a few hours for a wedding to take place before the ship set sail.

Pilot boat escorts the Liberty out of Miami

Other than the slight delay caused by the passengers who wouldn’t leave the ship, the process went smoothly. Ship’s crew handed out new sail and sign cards (which serve as room key, boarding pass and credit card for onboard shopping) while we waited in the lobby. Once the other passengers finally left, a Carnival crew escort took us as a group to the customs line. Customs cleared several lines for us and took care of our group nearly right away. We did not have to wait for the people already in line to go through. Then we all returned to the ship appreciating our speedy passage through customs.

Although the rooms were closed to passengers just coming aboard until all rooms got cleaned, we had access to ours as it did not need changing over for new passengers. The public areas of the ship filled quickly as more and more people came on board who would not have access to their rooms until shortly after the official boarding time. Many gathered on the Lido Deck to enjoy the welcome aboard lunch served there.

We also had to go down to guest services and scan the credit card for our sail & sign account again, as they did not carry it over from one cruise to the next. And, of course, had to go through the mandatory life boat safety drill again before the ship left port. Every cruise I have ever taken has done the safety drill before leaving the dock, a very good thing in light of what happened on the Costa Concordia where they did not.

Booking one longer cruise rather than two short ones would remove these minor inconveniences, but also would remove the option for family or friends to travel on only part of the trip.

When the second week ended, we still wished we could stay on the ship longer, and decided that no matter how long a cruise lasts, it is never long enough.

Posted in Caribbean, Carnival, Liberty, Port Cities, Shipboard Life | Tagged Carnival, cruise, Liberty, Miami, photo, port, sunrise, travel, vacation | 5 Comments

How to Make a Towel Cake

Posted on March 23, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

Towel Cake

Many cruise ship passengers look forward to returning to their cabin each night to find a new towel animal. I’ve been posting blogs about how to fold towel animals for awhile. Something that keeps reoccurring in my google hits is “towel cake.” I finally got curious as to just what is towel cake?

I posted the question on my facebook page. One of my towel animal fans responded with the answer that people fold towels into cake shapes for giving them as gifts at wedding or baby showers. I think the towel cake would make a great gift for a housewarming party too. My daughter posted a link with some great pictures of bridal shower towel cakes, and instructions on how to fold them on her blog. Unfortunately neither her blog nor the site that link went to still exist.

The cakes looked a lot easier than the towel animals, and I’m pretty good at folding them, so I thought I’d give it a try. Not having any sort of occasion to make a gift of towels to anyone for, I thought I’d just make a birthday towel cake instead since it is my husband’s birthday. A no-calorie cake that won’t make anybody fat! Of course it’s not exactly edible either.

step 1 – lay towel out flat

To make the towel cake you need two bath towels, two hand towels, and two washcloths. I added my own touch to the top layer of mine, folding a third washcloth of a different color into a candle in the center.

step 2 – fold towel in half lengthwise

Each layer is made the same way, just with a different size of towel/washcloth than the other layers. Fold each towel/washcloth in half the long way and then fold in half the long way again.

towel art, the art of folding towel cakes

step 3 – fold towel in half lengthwise again

Pick a size to start with. Roll one of your quartered towels until the whole thing is resembles a roll of toilet paper.

step 4 – roll the folded towel

Add the other one of the same size and roll it around the first towel. To avoid the possibility of a lumpy spot, you could line up the edge of the end of the first towel roll with the starting edge of the next one and roll from there rather than setting the first roll randomly upon the next towel.

step 5 – roll the second towel around the first rolled towel

Tie a ribbon around it to hold it together. Repeat for each of the other layers, both towels/washcloths of the same size rolled together into one layer.

gift for bridal shower, baby shower or housewarming party

step 6 – tie a ribbon around rolled towels

step 7 – repeat with next layer

regular towel cake, ready to decorate

Stack it up like a layer cake with the bath towels on the bottom, hand towels in the middle, and wash cloths on the top.

For my wash cloth layer, first I folded a different colored washcloth in half, and then rolled that one so it stands taller than the others which are folded into quarters. Then I rolled the first washcloth around the “candle” and the second washcloth around the first one same as in the other layers. I made a flame cut from yellow paper to poke into the center of the candle.

folding washcloth candle for towel birthday cake

for the candle just fold a different colored washcloth in half once

Decorate the towel cake appropriately for the occasion. Bridal shower towel cakes often have plastic flowers, lace, or strings of beads on them. A baby shower cake could be made from either baby towels or diapers. Decorate with pink or blue ribbon if the sex of the baby is known and adorn with things like booties, rattles, and other small baby items.

roll the other washcloths around the candle washcloth

towel candle on towel cake

fishing jig decorations

My husband loves to go fishing, so I made his a bit fishy. It has a string of beads with plastic fish interspersed between them on the bottom layer. (Just that layer because I only had one.) It needed some more decorations, so I added some Deep Stinger fishing jigs, and some little Point Wilson Darts. He loved it. He walked in the door, saw the towel cake, and said “That’s awesome.” Upon closer inspection, he added, “Why does it have jigs on it?” He thought for a minute, then added “Oh, is it my birthday cake?”

fish bead decorations

That just goes to show all it needs is the right decorations and no explanation needed.

Posted in Randoms, Towel Animals | Tagged baby shower, bridal shower, crafts, entertainment, life, party, photos, shower gifts, towel cake, towel folding | 3 Comments

Towel Art – How to Make a Towel Gorilla

Posted on March 17, 2012 by LBcruiseshipblogger

towel gorilla

Cruise passengers everywhere enjoy their nightly towel animal. Many wish to unfold the mystery of how to fold these delightful creations. With the help of a very cooperative Carnival stateroom steward, we discovered the secret on our last cruise.

To make a towel gorilla, start with the standard towel animal body, same as the rabbit or frog. Lay out a large bath towel and roll both ends in to the center. Start each end by folding over just a little bit and don’t roll too tightly.

roll each half to the middle

Fold rolled towel in half, rolls to the outside. Pull the tips out of the end of each roll. Holding both tips of the same roll in one hand, and the other roll in the other hand, pull rolls tightly into two sets of two legs on animal body.

fold rolled towel in half, rolled part to the outside

pull the tips out of the end of each towel roll

take both ends of the same roll in the same hand

finished body

For the head, use a small bath towel or large hand towel. Fold 1/3 of towel crosswise.

fold up 1/3 of the towel

Fold the part you’ve just folded over the remaining third.

fold the folded part over again

Fold first one corner down onto itself in a triangle, and then the other so the whole thing becomes one big triangle.

fold corner down like a triangle

fold other corner down, making large triangle

Fold the long side at the bottom up as if making a paper hat. It sort of resembles a sailboat at this point if you have a good imagination.

fold back long side of triangle

Fold the whole thing in half down the middle, with all previous folds on the outside.

fold triangle in half

Push a nose out the center of what were the two triangles, and shape as desired.

pushe nose out from center of folded triangle, shape into head

Place head between the two sets of legs and pull body into sitting position while bringing legs toward each other as well as toward you, same as with the frog.

put the head into the center of the body

fold legs toward center while pulling gorilla up to sitting possition

Position gorilla legs as desired and decorate with sunglasses.

green gorilla head made from hand towel, pink from small bath towel

Gorilla Head with Open Mouth

If you would like your gorilla to have an open mouth you just need to watch the position of the earlier folds in the head towel as you put in the later ones.

before folding the triangle parts make sure the loose end is underneath the towel on the side where the point will be

After the initial three folds, set the towel down with the part that has an open edge underneath and the part where both ends have folds on top. Make the folds for the triangle from the side with the open edge so that the open edge is at the point of the triangle and coming down the edges where the triangles meet.

how to make a towel gorilla head with open mouth

fold over the towel across the long edge

Fold the long edge over the top of the towel.

fold both sides together with everything that was on top staying on the outside

Fold the towel in half keeping the top part as the outside. Hold the neck bits that hand down with one hand to keep the head together while pulling down the lower edge that did not have a fold at the start to make the gorilla’s mouth open.

set the head on the body tucking it between the arms and decorate

Tuck the head between the arms of the body to keep it together and decorate as desired. I put googly eyes and a tongue on this one.

The gorilla is the fourth of a series on folding individual towel animals. For more towel animal instructions, check out the seal, rabbit, frog, pig, crab, or snake. It may not be an animal, but for more towel folding ideas, how about the easier to fold and sometimes useful towel cake? To see all the towel folding instructions visit My Cruise Stories Towel Animal Page.

towel gorilla with chocolate covered strawberries

towel gorilla decorated with eyes instead of sunglasss

For lots of towel animal photos, visit my facebook albums, Fun With Towel Animals or Towel Animals Tour Carnival Liberty.

Next up in this series, the ever-popular hanging towel monkey.

Hanging Towel Monkey

Posted in Towel Animals | Tagged crafts, cruise ship towel animals, photos, towel art, towel folding, towel gorilla, video | 8 Comments

Cruise Stories

Paradise Point Skyride, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas USVI

Random Bus Tour on St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands

Gluten-Free Flour Mixes

Gluten Free Grains 101: The Best Flour Blend

How to Fold a Cruise Ship Hanging Towel Monkey

Half Moon Cay Revisited

Spaces and Places Around The Ship on Carnival Liberty

Back to Back Cruises

How to Make a Towel Cake

Towel Art – How to Make a Towel Gorilla

Gorilla Head with Open Mouth

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