We are not docking till 11 so I enjoy a lovely sleep
in.
After a shower I gather my computer and some books and head
out to find a quiet spot to enjoy my coffee and do some research.
But the ship is busy.
People are dressed and ready to get off and are meeting up with friends
to plan their days.
I sneak up to Club 6 which is quiet. The Veteran’s get together is just ending and
I take a seat at the opposite end of the lounge. So proud
that Princess does these gatherings. I
also thank them for their service, no matter what country you served for. It is appreciated.
It is now very quiet and the air conditioning is strong in
here but I like it cool but it would be too cold for some, so bring a
sweater. It is a perfect temperature for
those dancing at night though.
I am reviewing a Chilean tour book for more research for my
destination presentations. The book comes from
the library and I only have a few more days to review it before I have to
return it.
The room is starting to fill up. I finally figure out that they are hosting
trivia here. Matt hosts the trivia and
again he is just so funny. He makes
attending a regular trivia even more fun and trust me I need something to keep
me going when playing as I just don’t know most of the answers.
We dock and the clearance is stated and the ship feels like
the drain has been pulled from the tub. People
funnel out and I feel like I am all by myself.
I too want to go ashore in Martinique. Last time we were here we took a taxi to a
resort and enjoyed the beach. Read about it here.
Today I am
going off by myself. Bernie is at the
Sanctuary relaxing and resting. He still
has that cold so he is doing exactly what he needs to do. That is the great thing about cruising, a couple
can do that and we each know the other is okay.
When I step onto the pier it is very humid and the wind is
kicking up. Make sure you hold onto your
hat as you walk along the pier as the wind will pick it up and take it
away.
There are some pedal bikes you can
hire to transport you to the pier entrance for a small fee.
As I get to the end of the pier the skies open and a massive
shower hits. We all take cover wherever
we can. I am under the taxi/tour
information tent where I chat with some of the other cruisers. I also help out by translating for some of the
passengers with the locals. Glad I can
help out too and I get to practice my French.
Although many locals speak a bit of English it will help if you can help
with a few words, or hey maybe a bit of hand signals.
The rain stops a few minutes later and the humidity goes
up. I take a quick picture and as you
can see the humidity is not being nice to my hair and it is hot. Make sure to bring water ashore and keep hydrated.
There are some lovely artisan shops right there at the pier
in some tents. I buy a lovely pair of earrings. They take credit cards and will
give you a bit better price for cash – note prices are in Euros but will let
you know what the price is in US.
I walk by the water taxi stands which are a very short
distance from the ship’s pier.
We are very close to the downtown and it is easy to get
to.
The city is lovely. I
walk along and check out the shops.
There is a lovely three story mall that has some nice stores inside.
Once outside again I see the local market. I always enjoy the local markets.
After wandering about the city for an hour or so I wander
back on board.
I am up at the Sanctuary in no time and totally relaxing.
Those serenity stewards are the best. Again I find the Royal’s Sanctuary to be the
best in the fleet – but I am a bit biased.
I even get in a small nap!
We are slow to get moving in the evening and are only out of
the cabin at 8 pm.
Of course you all know where we start out our evening – VINES.
Bernie and I agree we are due for a pizza at Alfredos.
Tonight’s buffet theme is Bavarian Night – or
German Buffet. Although we love the German
buffet we agree a pizza is more of what we want tonight.
Oh and it was so yummy!
It is the Love Boat Disco Deck Party and we were not sure if
it was going to happen tonight but thankfully the weather cooperated and it is a
go!
Todd and Sue are with us and boy did with have a fun
night. We dance all night long – yes I
am quoting Lionel Richie! We were up on
the stage too dancing with each other and the cruise staff.
When the dancers come out to perform I watch and try to
follow. Hey I will never see these
people again.
There was a few technical issues tonight. The Mutts Screen was not working. I joked that one bulb is burned out and the whole
lot goes out just like a string of lights on a Christmas Tree! Just kidding but hey might be!
What is great is seeing how the crew come together to make
things work even when not all things work.
That is a great team!
We end the night at the Retreat Pool where BOGO is happening
(Buy One Get One for a Dollar). So glad
to get this venue up tonight. This is
the first cruise in four that the Retreat Party is happening tonight.
Overall today rates as one of the best days on this
voyage.
A big shout out goes to Todd and
Sue for being a part of making that happen.
