Caribbean Cruise Blog

Finally, Fort Lauderdale is the last stop of our "Exotic Caribbean Cruise."  We docked at Port Everglades early this morning and disembarked with no problems.  The process was so smooth and organized, I cannot believe how quickly we left the ship, passed through immigrations, cleared by customs, and got in the bus with our luggage, all in less than 15 minutes!

Off we went to our last Shore Excursion, "Land and Sea at Fort Lauderdale."  The "Everglades Airboat Ride" we initially booked was canceled.  Our guide gave us a thorough history of the area — from the Indian times to current events.  Ezekial dozed off during one of his long stories, his snore prompted the guide to move on to the next topic.  But Fort Lauderdale had a rich history, I actually enjoyed the stories.

The ride around town revealed a city divided by the rich and the filthy rich :)  The enormous number of boats parked alongside the mansions of their owners on man-made canals made me wonder how many millionaires live in this place.

The River Cruise along the New River out into Port Everglades was just amazing.  The shear number of mansions along the river was quite impressive.  We also saw the huge cruise ships docked at the port.

The bus dropped us off the airport and we called our hotel for pick-up.  After an early dinner, we washed out dirty clothes and got ready for our early flight to Jackson, Mississippi tomorrow morning.  Back to reality.  Rejuvenated, tanned and rested, I am ready again to take on the real world!

Yesterday was another day at sea.  The rough sea made me reach out for my handy medicine bag to get some relief from sea sickness.  The highlight of the day was the performance of Nikki Blonsky.  She is the four feet and 11 inches star of the movie "Hairspray."  She was great live, very charismatic and talented.  She belted most of the hits from the show and retrieved a number of songs from her repertoire during her "karaoke" days prior to "Hairspray."  This 19 year old girl will definitely go places!

Saving the best for last, we docked at Half Moon Cay (pronounced as "key") of the Bahamas.  It is a private island of Holland America.  Leased from the Bahamas government for 99 years at the cost of $6 million dollars, Holland America poured another $40 million dollars to develop the island for tourism.  It is 5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, with 45 inhabitants or employees of the resort.  It boosted a perfectly white sand beach, a large lagoon, a snorkel area, an  enclosed stingray area, food pavilion, beach bars and horse stables.

We opted to join the Eco-Lagoon cruise with a covered glass bottom boat around the Bone Fish Lagoon, learning all about its unique eco-system.  Our guide Lakeisha and our captain Stephanie showed us a number of sea cucumbers, urchins, sponges, fish and birds.  Lakeisha even fished out a starfish for us to examine closely for a few minutes.  There were mangroves and even a replica of a small Indian village that included a stone oven, common in the Bahamas up to this day.

We spent the rest of the day, after a buffet lunch at the Food Pavilion, relaxing at the perfectly white sand beach, sipping pinacolada and taking a short nap under a tent shaped like a shell.  It was the perfect climax to a great Caribbean vacation.

That evening, the Holland America singers and dancers performed "Stage and Screen," a cheesy Las Vegas-style production.  Keeping our expectations in check made the show actually enjoyable.

Well, our vacation is almost coming to an end.  We finished packing our bags.  Back to reality tomorrow.  Although we still have one Shore Excursion tour around Fort Lauderdale, I felt a little sad leaving new friends and the crew we met on board the ship.  All good things come to an end, I guess.  More tomorrow from Fort Lauderdale!

The third stop on our Caribbean cruise was Cozumel, Mexico, an eleven-mile long island off the Yucatan Peninsula.  The weather this time was cloudy and windy.  But that actually made the temperature pleasant for what we had planned to do.

Our tour guide Patricio took us to El Cedral, the first stop on our "Cozumel Highlights and Shopping Tour."  It was a small area where a Mayan temple is seen side by side with the first Catholic Church on the island.  After a short talk about the Mayan culture, our guide assisted us in buying black coral jewelry for our moms without getting ripped off.  Off to tequila orientation for our next stop.  From a pineapple-like plant where it came from through the complicated distillery process, Hacienda Antigua is a one-stop shop for tequila enthusiasts.  The highlight of the tour was the tasting of several kinds of tequila — almond, coffee, Anejo and blue.  I bought a small bottle of the blue kind, it was smooth, sweet and light.  That was the best one, I thought.

Cozumel is a shopping paradise.  From high end jewelry, home decor items, to t-shirts and other island crafted necklaces, they had everything.  Pricey but you are expected to haggle.  Ezekial bought a handmade mermaid sculpture made out of a coral.  It took three months for the local artist to finish it.  Lunch was at Pancho’s, a restaurant recommended by Patricio, where we received a free appetizer by showing his business card.

Later that day, the wind started to pick up and the sea waves became rough.  Holland America had to use large boats as tenders due to these high waves.  The regular ship tenders were not able to handle these waves.

We had a celebrity at the dinner table that evening.  Comedian Judy Tenuta, the love goddess, and her mother from Los Angeles were seated with us.  She is particularly popular to the gay community, performing in several gay events, up to 10,000 people at a time.  She was the Grand Marshall at Provincetown’s Gay Pride Parade last year.  She did "Hairspray" on national tour, doing the role Michelle Pfieffer made famous in the movie.  She might do the tour again this year.  It was refreshing to see that she is pretty much the same wacky person off-stage stage as she is on-stage.  We were also joined by a retired GM manager with a dual Canadian and US citizenship, together with his much younger Canadian partner who owns a large printing press business in Ontario.  I always wonder how the mechanics of that kind of relationship work.

Entertainment that evening was the very funny Suzanne Westenhoefer.  A famous lesbian comedian that I first heard about on a trip to Provincetown in 1993, she had not lost her touch.  She was totally hilarious and reminded me of a younger Ellen Degeneres.

The sea was rough that night.  A lot of people were getting sick.  A Leather Party was underway and a midnight chocolate buffet was scheduled.  But we went ahead that got in bed before anyone of us will also get seasick.

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind," according to Dr. Seuss.

The second stop of our cruise was Belize City, Belize.  A former British colony, Belize is much more progressive than Honduras.  Its rich history makes it what it is today - a melting pot of different cultures and people from around the world.  What really amazes me is the fact that this small country of 300,000 people have 300 schools run by different religious sects with a literacy rate of 86%.  The education of the younger generation is everyone’s business here . . . and spanking is allowed :) 

We went on shore early this morning even though our shore excursion did not meet until 12 noon.  The Tourism Village at the dock was full of duty-free shops.  Jewelry stores featured precious stones from Tanzania and diamonds from other parts of Africa.  You really need to haggle here.  The one item I bought was originally $55.  After creative bargaining (just like in the Philippines), I got it for $25.  The stores with the longest lines were not the souvenir shops or the designer boutiques.  They were the pharmacies!  Drugs like Vicodin, Xanax, Darvocet, Viagra, Cialis and the like were all being sold at unbelievably low prices.  And you do not need a prescription!  A junkie’s paradise, I should say.

Our Airboat Adventure took us to a pristine marsh just a few minutes away from the city.  There, we had a glimpsed of the various wildlife that inhabited the mangroves.  Birds of different species flourished in these areas.  Even the crocodile gave us a show!  Our guide Kendrick showed us the lagoon where manatees feed.  Although we did not see one, that nature trip was definitely unforgettable.

Back at the ship, we had dinner with a government employee from Dallas moving soon to Chicago, a pharmacist from Minneapolis who left the -15 degrees freezing weather back home, and a retired elementary school teacher from Alabama who lived at one time in Natchitoches, Louisiana.  Entertainment tonight was not to our liking so we decided to skip it this evening.

Instead, we spent sometime getting to know our Cabin Steward.  This boyish 40 year old father of two is Beng from Indonesia.  He is nearing the end of his 11 month contract with Holland America, working for them for the past seven years.  He worries about this long absences from his family.  Now, his 6 and 10 year old boys are under their mother’s care.  He is afraid they might experiment with drugs that is now very prevalent in Indonesia.  This worry makes him grow white hair.

There are over 800 crew members in ms Zuiderdam.  About 350 of them are from Indonesia and about 300 from the Philippines.  The rest of the crew are from other countries around the world.  Working hard 10 hours everyday away from their families, no American would like these jobs.  The ship will dry dock in April to undergo extensive renovations.  Everyone leaves the ship at that time, including Beng.  He said he makes a lot more money here compared to staying in Indonesia, not from his salary, but from guests in the form of tips.  For sure, we will not make his hard work go unnoticed.

It is refreshing to be served by people who actually know how to serve people.  I commend the hard work and dedication of the crew in making everyone on board comfortable and happy.  This is turning out to be a great vacation for us.

Robin Tyler says "If Michaelangelo had been straight, the Sistine Chapel would have been wallpapered."

Today was the first stop of our trip.  That was Roatan, Honduras.  It is a small island off the coast of Honduras about 40 miles long.  It is home to the second largest coral reef in the world, second only to Australia.

The ship docked at about 9 A.M.  Shore excursion registrants gathered excitedly at the Vista Lounge.  Tenders were lowered from the ship to bring people to and from the shore.  The locals were teeming with excitement.  Tourism is the major source of livelihood on this island and has recently surpassed fishing.  Another ship, the Norwegian Sun of the Norwegian Cruise Line was docked here today.

We registered for the "Semi-submarine and West End" tour.  We were met by our guide Maybelline at the shore.  On an air conditioned Mercedes van, she took us first to the West End of the island, a small shopping community, for lemonade and a cultural presentation at Eagle Ray Bar and Restaurant.  Although the act was amateurish, the performers tried had to at least show us a little bit of their island’s heritage.

Then it was off  to shopping.  I got a tropical necklace made out of fish vertebrae and a wooden bracelet for my brother and a bottle of Flor de Cana rum, specially ordered by my colleague Dr. Wyche.  I also got a t-shirt declaring "Save the Dolphins" and a couple of "Honduras" wooden bookmarks for Ezekial’s use.  While he got a hand carved ring out of a cow’s horn.  I hope it’s not contraband

The highlight of the day was the "Semi-submarine Tour."  The semi-sub is actually a small ship with six-inch thick glass windows at the bottom that would allow us to have a great view of what was underwater without getting wet!

The view was simply awesome.  The coral reef was full of life.  Our biologist guide showed us the different life forms creating this amazing eco-system: tropical fish, corals, barracudas, shellfish, plants, etc.  It was like a lesson in marine biology, just a lot more interesting than a classroom lecture.  We even was the rare appearance of a sting ray at that particular trip.  That alone was worth the whole cruise.

Back at the ship, the "Something Blue Retro" T-Dance was underway just before sunset.  Another great conversation at dinner with a professional butler from Seattle, a real estate agent from Palm Springs and a couple from Long Island, New York, who just got back from New Zealand celebrating their 40th year together.

With a full day ahead of us at Belize City tomorrow, we decided to skip the RSVP Costume Contest and retired at our cabin for the night.  More updates to follow from Belize!

It was another quiet day at sea.  Late waking up, late breakfast, late everything.  It was pretty interesting watching folks learn how to do Country Line Dancing — just one of the activities available today.  I ended up at the library all afternoon trying to get some studying done for my upcoming Pediatric Board Renewal.  I’m doing DVD’s from the Pediatric Board Review of Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC.  I just finished the second out of 24 DVD’s.  Genetics was simply tedious.

The Captain’s Champagne Reception was next in the itinerary.  It was a formal event, so we had a chance to put on our suits and look nice.  At the same time, we had our portraits done by a professional photographer on board.  They looked great!  The event was put together quite elegantly.  This was the only time that alcoholic drinks were free.  Time to get tipsy.  The crew deserved the toasts they received this evening.  You can see how overworked they have been keeping all 1,900 guests happy.

One thing about Holland America Line, the dinners are much better compared to Celebrity Cruises.  Conversation was great with people from Virginia, Palm Springs and a navy veteran from Las Vegas who had been stationed in the Philippines at one time.  Food was excellent.  I had "A Celebration of Fruit Cocktail" for appetizer, a fitting description for this type of cruise :)  My fillet mignon was cooked just right.

Off to the LIVE Broadcast of the Academy Awards after dinner.  Watching it at a large screen theater made you feel like you were actually there.  Oscar trivia was on hand to entertain everyone during commercial breaks.  After the Best Supporting Actor Award, all the alcohol effects kicked in.  As the thumping vibration from the dance club upstairs commenced, it was our signal that it was time for bed. 

More from Roatan, Honduras tomorrow!

Leaving the hotel for Pier 26 was a breeze.  I heard that sometimes, it would take over 45 minutes to get from a distance of one mile due to thousands of tourists embarking on their cruises at one time.  That was not the case yesterday.

Boarding the ship was also a breeze.  Having filled out our Boarding Documents on-line, there was no need to fall in line.  They let you fill out these questionnaires making sure you do not have vomiting or diarrhea before board the ship.  But even if you have diarrhea and vomiting, would you really tell the truth and risk missing your cruise?  I don’t think so.

The ship left on time with no delays.  We unpacked quickly and went to the mandatory Life Board Drill with no hassles.  After decorating our Cabin Door with Mardi Gras masks and photos of ourselves and our dogs, we went to the Lido Deck for the "Bon Voyage" Party.  It was hosted by DJ Robbie Leslie and everyone wore a t-shirt from their hometown.  Of course, we had on our "Louisiana" t-shirts.

Dinner was at 6:30 P.M.  We dined with three other couples from Canada, Mexico and Florida.  The conversation was great, the food was great.  I had mahi-mahi with black beans and rice.  Anything with rice is fine with me

Entertainment for the evening was "Judy Tenuta the Love Goddess."  She was a hoot.  Then the rest of the cruisers headed out to party all night.  Not for us.  We retired at our cabin.

The passengers on this cruise are a lot older compared to the Mediterranean Cruise with Atlantis we did in 2004.  A lot more people on wheelchairs, a lot more women on board.  But it’s the same fun atmosphere these cruises are known for.  More updates soon.

We arrived at Fort Lauderdale in one piece.  After a slight delay due to weather at the Jackson Airport, it put us back 15 minutes and ate up our time to eat lunch and have our shoes shined at the Atlanta Airport.  The flight from Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale was on time and pretty smooth.  I did not even finish Al Gore’s "The Inconvenient Truth" on my portable DVD player before landing.

The Fort Lauderdale Airport yesterday was teeming with tourists like us embarking on cruises.  The hotel van picked us up from a designated area on scheduled.  Knowing their primary clientele, these vans are towing enclosed trailers specifically for guest luggage.  I have not seen those in other cities I have been before.

Comfort Suites along Federal Highway is pretty much like any other Choice Hotels, not the very best, but will do for one-night stays.  It was packed like any other hotels in Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas.

Across the street from the hotel was a Caribbean fast food place, like the ones we used to eat a lot from in Miami Beach.  We had chopped chicken on yellow rice and sweet plantains.  Sweet!

Then back to the hotel, hit the treadmill for 35 minutes and get ready for bed.  In the process of retrieving my pajamas from the suitcase, I pulled my back muscle trying to flip that heavy suitcase.  Whoa, it was painful.  Luckily after a couple to Extra Strength Tylenol and a good night rest, this morning the pain is better.  I dread a painful back all though out the cruise.  Now, we have to figure out a way to drag our luggage without injuring my back more.  Poor Ezekial

Now we are checking out and off to Pier 26.  How exciting.  More soon.

So, now we are down to the wire on our countdown to that exotic Caribbean vacation embarking on Saturday, February 23rd.  Bags are almost packed except for last minute toiletries.  A final check of the RSVP website revealed the headliner for the cruise.  And that’s Nikki Blonsky from the "Hairspray" movie.  This 18 year old former ice cream shop employee rose to fame doing the role of Tracy Turnblad opposite John Travolta, Queen Latifah and Michelle Pfieffer.

Coincidentally, I’ve been exercising to the DVD of "Hairspray" since Ezekial moved the treadmill to our home theatre.  A perfect self-esteem movie for an out-of-shape middle age short Asian man.  Now, I am excited for the opportunity to meet the star in person!  I should not forget to bring my DVD with me so I can get it autographed!  By the way, I’m now down to 131 lbs., one pound shy of my goal of 130.  Losing six pounds is not so bad.  It gets harder and harder at the very last stretch.

Got the cameras, got the hats for the "Country Western" party, got the lap top with a brand-new Adobe Photoshop 6 software, got the AMEX Travelers Checks, got the cash pocket money, got the passports, got the Boarding Documents, got our photos for our Cabin Door display, got the Tamiflu, Imodium, Phenergan, Cipro, Antivert, sun-screen, whew . . . I think we’re ready.  Now, I need to get some sleep for our early flight to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow.  Bon voyage!

After an initial confusion in terminology with our travel agent Steve (confirmed vs. reserved), we finally got our cabin on January 25th.  It is number 7098 — a Deluxe Verandah Outside Stateroom on the Rotterdam Deck of Holland America’s ms Zuiderdam, a part of the Vista-class fleet of ships.

Our cabin has one queen-size bed, bathtub and shower, sitting area, private veranda and floor-to-ceiling window.  It is a big whoppin’ 249 sq. ft. in size.  I always try to get a cabin with a veranda.  It is not as claustrophobic as the others at the lower decks.

Signature features of the ship includes a two-tier Vista Dining Room that offers five-course menus, from continental cuisine to vegetarian and low-carb options.  It has an intimate reservations-only Pinnacle Grill that offers premium hand-selected cuts of Sterling Silver beef, inspired seafood dishes and many select wines served in distinctive Bvlgari china, Riedel stemware and Frette linens.  I don’t think you will see us dining there.  You’ll be finding us more at the Lido Restaurant that offers a more relaxed ambiance for all three meals.

Other features include a Culinary Arts Center, a Greenhouse Spa and Salon, a Vista Show Lounge and The Crow’s Nest, an observation lounge by day, and a hip nightclub by night.

RSVP is known for its entertainment line up on its cruises.  So far, the main stage entertainer that caught my eye is Suzanne Westenhoefer.  She’s an extremely funny lesbian comedian.  More will be announced at a later date.  Then, the parties.  Boy, these are really fun — "Bon Voyage" Party (wear a T-shirt from your hometown), "Something Blue" Retro T-Dance, "Leather Party" by The Barracks Bar of Palm Springs, "Bad Boys ‘n’ Boots" T-Dance, and the hot and revealing "Underwear" Party (you won’t see us there, for obvious reason

Well, I weighed 133 lbs. and 2 oz. this morning.  Back for another half an hour session with the treadmill.  Diet-wise, the key is portion size (i.e. the kiddie part of the menu).  I ate a "mini-sub" at Subway today.  And got a toy with it!