Barbados Port Lecture

If you or anyone you know is travelling to Barbados on a cruise have them take a look at my port presentation.

This video was recorded in February 2019.

Happy Valentine’s Day Beautiful Barbados

We arrive in Barbados very early – 7 am!  And since all aboard is 3:30 we wake and head off as soon as we are ready which was around 8 am.

Today our goal is to get to Carlisle Bay Beach and a lounge chair and enjoy the water.

We are the only ship in port and that in itself is odd, this year the Caribbean seems quieter.  Each port seems to have fewer ships and each island seems so quiet.

Thankfully because we are the only ship in port we are within walking distance to the port building and the shops and taxis.

Fort those wanting to take a taxi here you can exit the building and go to the taxi stand right there at the port.  

The price to Carlisle is $5 per person and the taxi vans within the port are the same price but they will wait to fill a van, which can take some time.  For us we head straight to the port gate to the round about and there are taxis there.  Price is still $5 per person but they leave right away.

We did have a bit of a detour as part of the road is closed due to a death (apparently by natural causes, but I don’t recall ever having to close a road due to a natural death).

We asked the driver to drop us off at Lobster Alive which is a place we have been to before but we are going to walk the beach for a bit and find a spot.

At the beach the Boatyard is to the right (but the Boatyard is way too noisy and crowded for us).  So we turn left and walk past Lobster Alive and a few others.

We ran into Alice, Nan, Lew, Sydney and Kent at Copacabana and thought this looks perfect. 

Chairs and umbrellas were $10 each.  It is a bit pricier than some of the other spots but the lounge chairs were nice.  Lobster Alive is $9 per chair and includes drinks but we don’t care for the lounge chairs.

The next few hours were spent floating in the water, walking the beach, chatting with friends and enjoying a good meal.  I had the flying fish sandwich, Bernie had the Cajun chicken sandwich. 

When we were ready to go all we had to do walk to the road and there were taxis right there – again $5 each right to the pier.

As soon as we board we head to the cabin to shower and then we are off again to hand out Valentine’s balloon hearts that pop!  I had about 80 to hand out so each crew we saw got one.  They loved them, and we even had some crew hug us and thanked us for the little gift. 

Bernie suggested Afternoon tea and we are sat at a table for two and even though the first cup I got was visibly dirty they were quick to change it out.  We had vegetable sandwiches and two scones each. The staff there were also given the Valentine’s hearts.

The ship has Valentine decorations throughout and some are extra special.  

Back in the cabin we just can’t keep our eyes open!  We nap for a bit.

There are a lot of things going on tonight but we are so tired.

The ship hosted a Valentine Day Mass Renewal of Vows at 7:00 pm in the Atrium by the Captain.  We have done it three times now so we pass this time.

It is also the Captain Circle Party tonight.  There were three parties but again we pass.  The party is not for us this trip. Nothing special about it anymore and the Captain’s speech is the same from the past two cruises.

After our nap we head upstairs for a quick bite to eat.  They have done a special dinner tonight for Valentine’s Day and the ice sculpture alone is stunning.  Sadly I forgot the camera so no picture of the ice sculpture.

Again nothing big for us tonight, we decide to head back to the cabin and watch a movie and call it an early night.  But after the movie it is 11:30 and we close our eyes and get rocked to sleep.

Barbados

Today is another early day and our room service arrives and we quickly change and layer the sun screen on. 

Today we are doing a tour with Silvermoon.  This is the fifth time we have gone out with them.  They are at the gate to meet us right on time.  But there are some mix ups. There was an issue with our friend's booking, and they had our name wrong and it was difficult as we had asked that we would all be on the same boat; however that was not how it would of worked out unless we ensured it.

But in the end once we got on board all things went very very smoothly.  The weather is overcast with showers on the way.  But the catamaran is very large and there are only 9 of us on board.  So when the showers come we can easily take cover.

With this tour we have two stops, one for the turtles and one at a ship wreck/reef.

Staff ensure anything we want is provided and the boat is stunning.

While waiting for the lunch to be prepared we all jump in the water and relax.  Life is good.

We arrive back at the dock around 2:30 and they shuttle us back to the pier quickly.

Tonight is the Captain Circle Party and we are also celebrating Min’s Birthday.

Entertainment is

Comedy Impressionist Mike Wilson, Karaoke Madness, Evening Game Show Master Mind, Love Boat Disco Deck Party, Night Sky Lounge and so much more.  Buffet theme is Italian Trattoria.

Our evening was spent at the Captain Circle Party.  There were 3 parties.

After the parties we went up to the Horizon Court for dinner where it was Italian Night but they had a great Greek Food section too.

Barbados - January 24, 2016

We did nothing today ----

Who am I kidding we did close to nothing and we loved it.

First I should go back to last night.  We did end up going to the Horizon Court for the Mongolian BBQ Buffet.  If you have never been you should try it out.  You pick all your vegetables (and there are many different options), then you can add a sauce.  The crew member asks you what you want as a protein and then gives you a number and they stir fry it and return it to you.

I love it, it is something different and I love that I can custom make it.  One issue that could be a problem is if you have any type of allergy.  No one asked me if I had an allergy (because I am okay with seafood/nuts etc) but when they first brought my dish I noticed a few small shrimp and some mini cobb corns.  I know I didn’t ask for it or put it in my bowl for the stir fry.  I guess they must of fried my plate in a pan with some remnants of someone else’s stir fry.  

Again not a problem for me but could be for someone else so if you do have allergies, stay away or ensure that they use a brand new frying pan.

Okay back to doing nothing today! 

We woke to the sounds of docking.  Today the pier is the one closest to the port building.  They have small buses that you can take to main building but it is walkable.  There are three ships in port, us the Queen Elizabeth 2 (which is really looking in need of a paint job) and a smaller Thompson ship that is doing a turn around today.  Now that cruise line looks like something I probably would never take - enough said about that.  The pier is located on our starboard side and we are able to watch all the action on the pier today.

After breakfast we both agree that we are going to skip the beach.  After two full days at the beach and lots of sun and with going to the beach tomorrow today would be a good day to just walk to Rollies and get a drink.

Around noon we meet up with Michael and head ashore - Bernie wants to introduce Corn n Oil drinks to him - read all about it here.

The port building is buzzing and lots of people shopping, lots of people are at the bar just outside the building but we want somewhere a little quieter.  We walk past the throngs of taxis turning down their offer of a ride.  We leave the port on the left side and go past the round about and down one block.

Rollies is right on the corner (link to their Four Square page) but today it looks way too quiet.  The owner is there unpacking his truck of items for the restaurant.  No one is here.  I ask “are you open” he says no but that they can sell us some beer.  I am not sure exactly why it wasn’t open, could be that it is Sunday but I did confirm with him that he is not closed permanently just right now.

We ask if we can get a corn n oil drink but he doesn’t have all the fixins as they are not open but he can sell us a beer. 

So we get three beers, $2 each and enjoy the company.  It is good for Michael to get out even if it is for a short while.  Another round and we surf the net a bit and catch up and then head back to the ship.  It was a good break Michael said.

Back on board we stop by the coffee bar to get an infused tea and then we decide to share a pizza from Alfredos.  It is around 1:30 pm and it is relatively quiet.  All aboard isn’t until 3:30 and many are ashore today.  Our old waiter Dragisa is serving us and we catch up.  The pizza is delicious!

Once in the cabin we are both relaxing ready when we can’t keep our eyes open.  Why fight it - nap time.  And we wake as we pull away from the pier feeling refreshed.

Today marks half way thru our vacation and it feels like a long time but then it also feels like a short time.  I don’t want it to end, probably because I am not sure when we will get to sail again and we will miss so many people here.

Tonight we have no set plans.  People are excited as there is NFL Playoffs tonight.  New England Patriots vs Denver Broncos is on at 4 pm and then Arizona Cardinals vs Carolina Panthers is on at 7 on the MUTS Screen (Satellite Permitting - but it is usually good).  They even have a huge tailgate party happening there before hand, so it should be quite fun for those wanting to watch.

For us we don’t watch football so we are looking forward to a quiet night on board - I am sure the dining room will be quiet.

It is no smoking night in the Casino, there is Holiday Store at Sea Sale, shuffleboard play, LGBT Get Together, Discover at Sea Trivia: Velocity, Perry Grant (who I personally don’t really care for but he has a HUGE following), Production Show What the World Needs Now @ 8:15 and 10:30, Stargazing with Discovery at Sea, I’ll take Trivia for 100 Gameshow, Bing, Majority Rules Gameshow, and so much more.  

Barbados – February 11, 2015

We wake and turn on the Wake Show.  We really miss Lisa Ball, she was such a great host.  She worked so well with Toby (Simone prior) and DJ Shea.  It just isn’t the same with Peter Tredgett. 

He isn’t the our cup of tea and that is all I will say about it.

We dock only at 9 am so we decided to go to the dining room for breakfast.  The first time we have been there for breakfast.  It is rare I am up and dress and presentable in time to get to the dining room.  Plus the buffet is so good on board and it fast.

So Concerto dining room is open for breakfast and we get a lovely table for two right by the window.  We enjoy a leisurely meal and we discuss what we want to do today.

Originally we were going to head back to the beach and Lobster Alive (located right beside the Boatyard).  But it is busy and we are really trying to try new things this voyage. 

Earlier in the cruise we had asked Trevor Cole the Steel Pan player who is from Barbados and he recommended trying out Weiser Beach Bar on Brandon Beach which is relatively close to the pier. 

So we slather on the sun screen and gather our beach gear.  We head off the ship around 10 am and walk thru the port building (oh we are docked the furthest away again with two other cruise ships in port – Carnival Valor and a Silverseas ship).  We are going to take a taxi to the beach but we always walk thru the parking lot past the taxi vans and out the port.  Taxi drivers are right at the gate and offering rides.  Bernie asks a guy for how much to Brandon Beach and we are offered $4 per person, originally it was $5 but he quickly said $4.  It isn’t really far and at home it would be about a $15 taxi ride. 

We are dropped off right at Weiser Bar, which has drinks, food and there is someone there that you can rent chairs/umbrellas from.  But we want to walk and check out the beach further.

We walk for about a half hour, the whole beach is so quiet that it is rare to even see people.  Occasionally you will run into a couple or family on the beach but then it is a long distance before someone else appears.  We walk past homes and keep walking for about a half hour where we decide to put our towels down under some trees for shade. 

It is HOT at least in the 30s and the winds are high again.  

Right away we head into the water and we lounge around and relax.  I did do a bit of snorkeling but with the high winds the water is not as clear and there is no real reef here so I just checked out some small fish.  It is the perfect beach day.

After about 3 hours we pack up and start walking back.  Another half hour walk back to Weiser’s bar and we decide we could easily walk back to the ship.  We walk up onto the road at the end of the beach and there is the Mount Gay Rum Factory (which you can tour).  We walk to the round about and then go to the right and then we are on the main street near the pier. 

We head to Rolli’s restaurant which is right near the port gate.  We were here last year and fell in love with their famous drink “Corn and Oil” can’t recall what is in it but I did take a picture of the menu so will report back.  But if you like rum you will like this and quite reasonably priced and oh free wifi!

Now I am not doing well… the walk from the beach (about an hour in total) was not comfortable to do in beach wear.  Also the heat is high and I haven’t drunk enough water.  When we get back to the port building all I want to do is get into the cabin.  The heat is affecting me to the point I feel nauseous and I can’t seem to cool down. 

As soon as I am in the cabin I get into the shower and cool off.  I should know better, after having heat stroke a few years ago I seem to be affected by the heat and at work in the summer I take steps to ensure I stay hydrated, I need to do the same when on vacation. 

We have a nap in the cool of the cabin.  We sail today at 6 pm and it is so great that we were in port for the whole day.  Normally we leave early.  I am really liking the order of the ports and the times in ports this leg.

Down in Vines for pre dinner drinks we order a bottle of wine and Frankie and Ryan take such good care of us.  We really appreciate all they do. 

The Atrium is getting busy, the International Music Event is happening soon.  It is a great show not to be missed, but we have seen it twice now and we have other plans.

Dr. Dylan Belton, so happy to see him again

Tonight we are honoured to be asked to join some of our friends.  Dylan is heading on vacation at the end of this voyage and coordinated a lovely diner. (in total we are 12) and we enjoy an amazing meal.  Lots of laughs, excellent wine, and great food, probably some of the best food I have ever had.  Thank you chef David! 

When we say goodbye we stroll back to the cabin and we feel so blessed.   Vacations are not only about the places we visit, the passengers and being together.  It is about the relationships we have developed.  We don’t take any of it for granted, and tonight it has grown even more.  Of course invites go out to get in touch with us when they come to Vancouver. 

Lots of other things going on tonight:  Texas Hold’em Players; The Magic Hotel Starring Master Illusionist David Cats; The Alphabet Trivia Gameshow; MUTS – The Maze Runner; Vista is showing The Equalizer; The 60 Second Challenge Gameshow; TV Theme Trivia; Fountains are showing “Into the Flow”; Karaoke Madness; and DJ Shea is in Club 6.

They have Scratch Card Tickets where you can win up to $100,000.  On sale is the new GoPro Hero4 Silver for $399.  Drink of the day is the 24K Gold Margarita.  The Spa is offering the Top to Toe includes a muscle melting full body massage, soothing foot and head massage plus a spa facial 75 minutes for $139.  They are also doing a free technology workshop where you can learn about smartphones (great idea).

January 23, 2015 Barbados

We had an amazing sleep and we once again wake to the ship pulling into it’s berth.  We dock early at 7 am and the announcement stating to all the passengers we have clearance now has been made.  We are in no rush so we roll over and go back to sleep for about an hour.

When we do wake up we feel rested and Bernie is feeling good too.  We decide to head to the beach and we dress in our swimsuits and apply the sunscreen.

I agree to meet Bernie in the International Café later as he heads up to the Horizon Court for Breakfast and I head to the IC for Muesli and my Cappuccino.

We head ashore at around 9:30 and we are at the pier further away from the port building.  There are two other ships in port situated at the coveted parking spots.  This is a working pier so the piers included other vessels as well like tug boats and also some Navy boats too.

When you get onto the pier there are small shuttle buses that will transport you to and from the port building, but we like to walk it.  It takes about 8 minutes to walk but if you have trouble walking or the heat can get to you I suggest you take the shuttle bus.

Right away when Bernie hits the sun his eye is having trouble adjusting the to brightness.  He used the drops this morning so I am guessing that is why.  Then when we walk into the building they have trouble adjusting again.  In fact he says to me I really can’t see anything, so we take a seat and wait for his eye to adjust.

We leave the building and are making our way to the exit and again as soon as the bright light hits his eye he is blinded and actually takes my hand to help him.  I question whether we should go to the beach and he says no lets go.  

But as soon as we exit the port he is still quite blind and I make an executive decision, we are returning to the ship and will enjoy our day on board.

He feels bad about this but I am totally fine with it.  Sure the beach here is amazing but we have been before and we will be back in a few weeks and we can enjoy the day on board.

As we enter the port building I chat with the woman at the flower booth and arranged for two arrangements to be made.  One for us and one for our friend who is celebrating her birthday in a few days.  We will come back later and pick them up.  If you like flowers I highly recommend you stop at her stall and get a lovely bouquet for a very reasonable price.

We are back on board at 10 am and we sit in the International Café and have another drink and then we decide to head up to the top deck for some R & R. Bernie picks a chair in the shade (which I have to say is easy to find on this ship) and I sit not too far away in the sun.  There are quite a few people on board, I am not sure if they just stayed on or if they are going off later.  We do leave here early (4 pm) so I know many of the crew have decided to just stay on.

After two hours in the sun and Bernie napping and resting his eye, we then head back ashore to pick up the two bouquets of flowers.  

Again we walk to and from the ship to the building, so we did get our exercise in today.   While walking back on board a lot of people are commenting about the flowers and where we got them.  Yes you can bring flowers back on board with no problem but you can not take them off with you when you disembark the vessel in Florida.  Very strict about that and you can be fined. 

We are back on board and as we take the stairs to the Promenade we can smell the pizza and it smells good so after dropping off the flowers we head back to Alfredos for some pizza. 

This time I have a nice salad to start and then I have a pizza that has artichokes, mushrooms and olives.  It is very good.  Oh yeah I  was going to just get a glass of Sangria which is $5.95 but you can get a large carafe of Sangria for $9.95 and you get a lot more, so I recommend the carafe instead.

Yesterday we started watching the movie Gone Girl and we need to finish it so back in the room we watch the last bit of it and oh my it is good and not what you would expect.  So if you get the chance watch the movie.

We close our eyes and take a nap, not sure why we are resting so much but hey I am on vacation and obviously my body needs it.

We wake when we hear the Captain come on the cabin announcing our departure, not sure why they are announcing this in all the rooms but since we are awake we head out to the balcony to watch sail away. 

But we are just above and two over from the aft door on Promenade that people use to go outside and the door slams constantly.  Wish they had it on an automatic door opening/closing to prevent it from slamming.  It is so loud and all you hear is BANG,  five minutes BANG, a few minutes BANG.  It gets to me after a half hour and I go inside.  I am very concerned because we are two cabins over from this one for our last leg which would put us even closer to that door.  I am almost tempted to move into an inside to get away from it.  I hope it isn’t something I hear in the cabin.  

Right now I can say I love the cabin and it’s location but it is not a quiet cabin and would recommend cabins away from public doors and just above public venues.

Events today:  Morning Trivia, Ping Pong, Shuffleboard, Basketball, Speed Sudoku, Brunchtime Trivia, soccer, knitters and needlepoint get together, bridge play, MUTS: Genesis and then Il Divo, Goofy Golf Competition, Balloon & Can Shooting at the Bullseye Simulator, Steel Pan Class, Afternoon Tea, Pop Choir, Sabbath Service, Afternoon Trivia, Zumba class.

Barbados February 20, 2014

Arrival is set for 10 am and we sleep until 9 and the first thing Bernie says “did you feel that storm last night”.  Really what storm.  Now we have been encountering some crazy wind for the past few days at sea as well as in ports and last evening the ship was moving a bit, in fact I often had to brace myself in the shower.  But I slept thru the entire storm, sadly Bernie did not, but it will be  a restful day so I am sure we will get by okay.

We are not in any real rush so we get dressed and head up to Horizon Court and it is very busy at 9:30 am, but really I should not be surprised with docking at 10 am most people have slept in and grabbing a bite to eat before heading ashore. 

As I was checking out the fruit at the buffet a sous chef came beside me and grabbed this large grapefruit in one of the trays (they had a tray of apples, kiwis, and oranges and the grapefruit was in one of them) and I commented to him “wow that is a big grapefruit” he smiled and said “cause it is fake and made of wax and is from the display above but the passengers keep grabbing them thinking they are real”.  Oh my that is funny, so he puts it back up in the display and moves the display further back. 

I grab some fruit (the real kind), a bagel with cream cheese (with port in it) and some muselix (love the smaller dishes of muselix much better than the serve yourself bowls).  We find a seat near the back of Café Caribe and enjoy a lovely meal.

We head ashore around 10:30 and the wind is howling, boy these ports have been extra windy but it is welcomed cause otherwise it would be very hot. 

walk out to roundabout, just outside the port gate and grab a taxi here

We exit the cruise terminal and past the port taxis to just outside the gate to the waiting taxis at the round about.  We hop in a taxi and head straight to Lobster Alive – cost is $5 per person and the taxi driver wastes no time and surprisingly we made it there alive!

We came her last year too and we much prefer Lobster Alive cause it is quieter than the Boatyard which charges $15 per person just to enter, but with that you get a chair and umbrella and access to their Tarzan swing, and washrooms, restaurants and shops.  But for us at Lobster Alive we just pick a chair and umbrella and each is $5 so for us the total cost is $15; although no one ever came and collected in the entire time we were there. 

We walked the beach, we swam, we sunbathed, we read, we laughed, we met people around us and we had a few vendors approach us but they were all very respectful.  Ice Man (that is his name apparently) approached us about a snorkel trip (which we declined because we have snorkeled many times with the turtles) and offered us a tour for $30 each (which is high and I probably wouldn’t pay more than $20 each).  They take you out on a boat and you can either snorkel with the turtles or stay on the boat and watch from the glass bottom.  But they only take you a short distance away, in fact you could probably just walk down the beach and enter from the water and see the turtles too.  But we did not do this and I can say that snorkeling with the turtles here in other areas is amazing and a must do event.

We thought about eating here but after a peak at the menu we really didn’t feel like paying the prices they were quoting to sit on a lounge chair and eat from a paper plate with the wind and the sand being blown all over so Bernie and I decided to make our way back to the ship around 2 pm.

This time we both thought we would try walking back, we have heard many people say they often walk it and I was not drunk this time (like last year) and it was early and I wanted to see for myself how the walk would be.  We saw a bunch of stands near the bridge and Bernie bought two fish cakes that were .50 each and a coke and we munched on those, yummy!  We crossed the bridge and walked along the boardwalk then along the street towards the pier.

We came across a restaurant called Rollies and it is a nice little open air restaurant.  I ordered the grilled mahi mahi and Bernie had the Jerk Chicken.  The prices were half the price of the restaurants on the beach and the atmosphere is much more conclusive to a restaurant without wind/sand.  We also ordered a Corn and Oil drink, which we had heard about from some travel show and no there is no oil in this drink!  But it is made with Rum and bitters and it was strong but very good and for $3 a drink a great deal.   Bernie had two and well I opted to just have one.  Our meals were amazing, probably one of the best meals we have had ashore.  I am drooling just thinking about them.

A short walk to the pier entrance and we enter the port and the shops and today I decide I am going to get some of the exotic flowers they sell right there in the port.  A woman who runs the stand explains that the exotic flowers are $2 to $3 a stem but she can easily make up a bouquet for us in any denomination so this is what we do.  I ask for two bouquets of $20 each and she starts out with a bamboo vase that she fills with sand that holds the stems, then adds water and then adds the flowers and boy is it beautiful!  What a deal too and she said they should last for around 3 weeks on board.  There is no problem bringing flowers on board.  When going thru security you will have to hand it to the security to have it checked with the wand perhaps. 

I grab an iced café late from the IC and catch up with the staff there about our day.  It feels like coming home and seeing our family and sharing in what they and what we did for the day.  But I really need a shower.  A day at the beach has encrusted salt, sand, sweat and dirt on me, and boy you don’t even want to hear about how bad my hair looks.

Sail away drinks are in order again!  I could get use to this.

Tonight we are dining again in the dining room with our friends Barb and Craig.  We agree to try the Michelangelo again since last night was better.  We arrive just before 7:45 pm and there is no wait at all and we are directed to a table for four.  Bernie immediately is concerned, we are back in the section we sat at the second night (formal night) where we had very poor service.  I tell him we need to give it another try.  We are sat at table 277 and sadly our waiter comes over and he doesn’t even remember us from the other night.  Oh well I guess we are not that memorable and heck they do see a lot of people, but what is funny is other waiters and assistant waiters have come by and said hi to us.  Oh well, try and keep a positive attitude.

We get our bottle of wine from the other night.  Craig orders a bottle and they bring a Sauvignon Blanc instead of the Chardonnay even though they had the right menu number on the receipt, glad he caught that and they did go and correct it.  We wait and wait and finally we have our order taken.  We do notice that he has another table of four and another table with a single person at it and us.  So it isn’t that he is busy.

We get our appetizers, I had the mac and cheese with bacon (which is good) and we all finish and I am disappointed that the appetizer plates sit in front of us for 15 minutes before they are cleared.  Finally when he comes to clear them we do comment and he apologizes.  The time is now 8:20 and we are all feeling a little saddened and well disappointed in the service and wonder if we should just leave but we decide to stay.

We had thought about talking to a head waiter but sadly not a single head waiter has spoken to us on any of the nights we have dined in the dining room (except the first night to explain the wine card) and since none are around we just let it go.  Many waiters/assistant waiters are just standing around cause their sections are not full, and even our waiter’s section is not full (hate to think how it would have been if he would have been full).

We get our next course which for me is the Thai soup and I LOVE this dish, I could have a big bowl of it, it is that good.  For my entrée I have the Turkey Scallopini and again one of my favorites.  For dessert I have the sugar free grapefruit tart and again yummy yummy.  The food so far this voyage has been excellent!

We didn’t order coffees or more wine just because we didn’t have enough time.  Dinner took an hour and a half for the four of us in a dining room that is about a third full.

Now for those that have been following my blog for many years you know I try to always focus on the positive and I do love Princess, and even though not everything is always perfect I do agree that if something is not right you need to discuss it with the appropriate people to see about fixing it.  We came back to the cabin and Bernie and I discussed it and we need to find a way to rectify this issue in the dining room but we are not sure yet oh how to do this.  Normally we would discuss with the head waiter but none have really been around or are that approachable.  Even the head waiter that greets us when we enter the dining room is not that friendly and in fact I find a bit intimidating cause when we do ask for a table of two I feel like we are causing a problem.  I don’t feel like I am being welcomed when I enter and they certainly don’t seem to recognize us night to night.

Maybe I am asking for too much?  I don’t know, maybe I have just been spoiled in previous cruises?  We are going to see what we can do, maybe we should just try Da Vinci dining room.  But in the end I do hope that Princess rectifies this cause I am pretty sure we are not the only ones experiencing this.

Tonight is the Island Deck Party but neither of us is up for it, we are tired and dinner service has put a shadow over the night.  So we head back to the cabin and we crash just after 10 pm.

Our friends posed for the Platinum Studio on board and last night they told us about their experience and they LOVED it. James McKay was the photographer and he made the experience so relaxing.  We have always heard great things about the Platinum Studio and they agreed.  They said somehow the photographer captured the love between the two of them.  It wasn’t like the standard formal night photos but more about the caring, the looks, the kindness and friendship they both feel for each other. 

But I want to end on a positive note.  Everything else is amazing.  I have to say the cruise director and entertainment on board have been top notch.  Lisa Ball does an amazing job, she is probably one of the best CDs we have seen she is just enough out there to be visible but also is gives her staff enough space to do their job. 

Carlos and I

The Bar Staff are among the friendliest and helpful we have ever sailed with.  The food has been top notch, flavourful, hot when it should be hot, plentiful, great selection.  Room Steward is good – a little shy which makes chatting with him so cute.  Officers are out and about and very attentive.  The photography staff are so friendly too and so patient and kind.  We are so happy to see Carlos again, we originally sailed with him on his first contract on the Emerald last year.  Tonight he informs us that his contract is almost done.  He gets off in Valparaiso and is planning on going back to school.  We are happy for him, but will miss him.

Tomorrow is Trinidad and an early start, no formal plans here.  We have been there twice and really like the island.