ST.KITTS AND ALMOST PARADISE 2023

Caribbean Princess
St. Kitts
January 31, 2023
85F, sunny,  hot!

 

There were all kinds of welcome signs

Saint Kitts and Nevis is a dual-island nation situated between the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. It's known for cloud-shrouded mountains and beaches. The larger of the 2 islands, Saint Kitts, is dominated by the dormant Mount Liamuiga volcano, home to a crater lake, green vervet monkeys, and rainforest crisscrossed with hiking trail.

Shopping the port area

Two behomoths

Right: Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas (same size and Randy, Coleen, and 

Brooke were on in Alaska this year)

Left: Caribbean Princess

St. Kitts is also known for its blue seas and sandy beaches, but we headed for Palms Court Gardens, a paradise we visited about 5 years ago with Wisconsin friends Donna and Lawrence.   We took a taxi, $6/pp., but it is only a short distance from the port. (https://www.palmscourtgardens.com/) 

 

Our chaise lounges were reserved ($20/pp), and an umbrella provided ample shade in the hot sun.  The grounds are beautifully landscaped, the infinity pool is inviting, and the service is very good. We were settled in and comfortable in the morning, and most guests were our age, but by noon a younger, louder, boisterous group came in and changed the timbre of our paradise. We learned later that they were crew members of one of the ships in port today. 

Entry to Palm Court Gardens, 9 a.m.

Lunch

Infinity pool and hot tub

Close up

We did eat lunch there, TK had a lobster roll which he said was very good, and I had a decent burger. They also served complimentary fresh baked olive bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I could have eaten two loaves of that! 

 After lunch we left and walked along the shore on the way back to the ship where we once again found an abundance of beach glass.  Last visit the four of us made this discovery and thquantity hasn’t changed—

 

This is at least a pound of what we call beach glass!

Tonight’s culinary highlight was the carrot cake, which was very much like home—I think Princess must have read my survey comments about their cuisine on the Regal/November cruise!

 

Scrumptious carrot cake

TK’s Takes: He was disappointed about Palms Court Gardens. The beef stroganoff tonight looked like beef stroganoff!  You be the judge!

Tonight's beef stroganoff/Caribbean Princess

November's beef stroganoff/Regal Princess

 

ST. THOMAS AND SHOPPING!

Caribbean Princess
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
January 30, 2023
80F, sunny, intermittent sprinkles

St. Thomas bay

 

By 10 a.m. we were off to downtown St. Thomas. The area where one secures a taxi/open air mini bus has changed, but no worries, we found it.  I headed straight to Alpha Jewelers (https://alpha-jewelers.com/) because I wanted them to work on a new ring using my own diamonds. They thoroughly cleaned my current rings and all of them were purchased here, some using my own diamonds.  I have bought jewelry here for at least the last six years. Sonny, the proprietor, his wife Nikita, and the rest of the staff are very experienced and very fair.  I will pick up my new ring in two weeks when we return to St. Thomas with Donna and Lawrence on the Carnival Celebration.

Sonny waves good bye from his shop, Alpha Jewelers

Aside to Donna: There is still some jewelry in the store for you!
Aside to Julie: You will like my new ring!

St. Thomas has changed over the last thirty years. Fewer shops are open, for one thing. There used to be so many camera shops and they are gone.  Diamonds International and Little Switzerland shops are downsized.  There are more souvenir and shops, and stores selling art. Three ships were in port today, but the streets were not as packed as before. 

Even the Green House, a favorite restaurant, did not seem busy.   TK had conch fritters and I had a cheeseburger there today, with a window seat overlooking St. Thomas’ bay.

Palm Passage

TK at the Greenhouse Restaurant

 https://www.thegreenhouserestaurant.com/index.html

TK decided to catch the Sky Ride where he can take spectacular photos.  

After dinner and a movie-----

TK did take some excellent photos of St. Thomas ---he was gone about an hour.

Sky Ride/St. Thomas

Another view of St. Thomas bay

Panoramic of St. Thomas bay

After dinner (highlight: lemon meringue cheesecake), TK wanted to go to Movies Under The Stars (MUTS) to see Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. He forgot to tell me this was the 3^rd movie in a series and that he had seen the other ones. He also forgot to tell me I would not understand what on earth was going on. While the movie played, I googled Wikipedia’s plot and that helped a little.  I did like the little animals. 

 

MUTS is fun, blankets are provided, as well as popcorn. I could see some stars in the St. Thomas sky.  It was better than going to see the ventriloquist. 

 

TK’s Takes:  He remembers the year that I awoke on our ship very early and we were in downtown St. Thomas before shops even opened. He wanted me to post these Before and After photos...

TK, probably 2018

TK today

 

 

 

THE MAGIC BEHIND THE SHOWS, FOOTBALL SUNDAY, AND VIOLINISTS

Caribbean Princess
At Sea/Atlantic Ocean
January 29, 2023
80F, sunny

The violinists play “You Give Me Fever” in the background as I write, a very compelling version. My table at the Good Spirits Bar in the Piazza overlooks the ocean, its seas seething with 5 foot swells. The ship does not care as it sails along.

"Diamond Strings"

Even though I don’t like to be negative in this blog, I do have to comment about how cold the ship is. We thought we left Pennsylvania, the snow, and freezing temperatures behind. Just minutes ago I “escaped” the pool area to our stateroom to turn the thermometer up so I could warm up.  The thermometer was stuck at VERY COLD.  The whole ship seems to be stuck at VERY COLD. I am not the only one who thinks this way. TK used to be always warm, but since his year long “issue,” he is cold too.  I notice others wearing coats inside the ship. I called the front desk and we shall see how this plays out.  The violinists are playing “Summertime” now to warm me up.

On the other hand, I just found an electrical outlet at the table I am sitting at—wow, that is very rare! We only have one outlet in our stateroom that works with American wires. And some readers might wonder why I don’t go outdoors—it is very windy but beautifully sunny.  It is not quite so cold here on Deck 5.

This morning we attended the “Secrets of Entertainment at Sea” presentation to learn more about how such spectacular stage shows are produced. Of course, the whole process begins with the ship building. The Princess Theater in the Caribbean Princess cost $22 million to equip.

The stage backgrounds are often done with LED video walls. Each ship has 4 to 8 shows that can be available during the cruise, depending on the length of the cruise. All production sets must be no bigger than 6 ft. by 8 ft. to fit in the cargo door and cranes are used to hoist them in.  The sets are then built for the individual stage onboard—on a moving ship, on the ocean. 

Casting calls are worldwide (NYC, LA, London, etc.) and highly competitive, and performers covet cruise jobs.  There are 18 Princess vessels with 18 different casts. After performers are selected, they go to a rehearsal studio in Santa Clarita outside Los Angeles to learn 4-5 different productions over 4-6 weeks.  After this training the performers join a ship. 

Costumes are made by Silvia’s Costumes in LA (http://www.silviascostumes.com/), about 100 for each production—a process that takes 2 months. This is the same place that makes (or made) costumes for Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson.

The shows themselves cost ½ million to 4 million each to produce and are done by Great Lakes Productions in Canada. I could not find them on the Internet.

Today, the audience met Alicia, the cast manager for 10 years; Chi, the vocal captain for 12 years, both from Australia; and Jacob, the production manager for 7 years, from Florida. 

Other things I learned from Alicia, Chi, and Jacob:

• Safety is first
• LED lights are not hot, in the past the lights were like heat lamps
• Audio panel is huge and can be programmed so that voices are deep, cartoonish, etc.
• Performers have less than 1 minute to change costumes—17 seconds to change shoes and costume
• The lead singer has 12 dozen costumes
• A seamstress fits all of the cast before a new production begins, then the performers are on their own for repairs. The costumes are sewn to be sturdy. When new performers take over, the costumes are taken in or out. 
• The stage area goes from Deck 5 to Deck 9 to accommodate the pit, lifts, the dressing room (no modesty-male and female both use it), laundry, the automated costume rack for 1500 costumes, set storage,
• 10 dancers
• 4 featured singers
• There is no  lip syncing
• 13 technicians for audio, lighting, mechanics
• 9 tracks on the stage to automatically move sets
• It takes 2-3 years to develop a show (script, songs, make the set, choreograph, teach, rehearse)
• A show’s longevity is 3-6 years, depending on popularity
• Each of the speakers has a BFA (technical theater, production, classical music)
• There is a green light backstage to indicate the stage is safe, a red light to indicate the pit is open, don’t step into it

 This was a highly informative presentation and helped me appreciate how much work goes into the shipboard productions.

I love the violinists--------------------I wish you could hear them, "Sounds of Silence."  The music soothes me.

Today is Football Sunday and I am sure delicious food is cooking at Brian’s. The ship is prepared for the playoffs tonight—Buffalo did not make it, so my pick is Philadelphia.

 

After dinner---

Dinner was tasty, sirloin for me, scallops for TK. Cherries Jubilee was good too.  

Fresh scallops

Right after dinner I went to the Explorer Lounge to see tonight’s comedian, Carl Strong. He was hilarious and I hope he comes to Erie. (https://carlstrong.com/).  

Explorer Lounge before the show

Another view of the Explorer Lounge

TK watched the Bengals vs. Chiefs “under the stars.” I am happy to say that the Eagles won today so when we are on the next cruise I have someone to cheer for in the Super Bowl!

 

When we returned to the room after dinner, the comedian, and football,  the AC was fixed, end of drama!! Except for the VERY COLD temperature in the rest of the ship. Tomorrow we will definitely warm up in St. Thomas, not just from the heat but from running around, jewelry store to jewelry store.

TK’s Takes:  He went to the front desk about the thermometer in our room. The technician is busy. It is better that TK went instead of me…  TK is baffled by the art auctions on board ships--

 

 

LIVE MUSIC AND GRAND PRODUCTIONS!

Caribbean Princess
At Sea/Atlantic Ocean
January 28, 2023
70F, sunny, cloudy, heavy rain

I love violinists who play contemporary music in the Piazza! Live music is such a plus on cruises! I’m sitting at TK’s favorite place, the International Café, while he closes his eyes for a bit in the room—it is incredible how many people flock to this place for coffee and fancy coffee drinks. The only coffee flavor I like is black, which is a good thing because the lines are long. There are sandwich choices too, croissants, tartes, and so on, so guests can get a snack to accompany their lattes and mochas or whatever they are.  TK bought the coffee package for $36, so he can have 15 fancy coffee drinks and unlimited coffee during this 2 week cruise. The snacks/sandwiches/desserts are free.

The International Cafe attracts a lot of people

Coffee, etc. menu

Latte, cuppacino, mocha, macchiato, chai and more!

Sandwiches, quiche, fruits/International Cafe

Sweets at the International Cafe

I purchased my usual soda package which cost $118 for 14 days. They have upgraded this package to include not only fountain Diet Coke, but all juices (orange, cranberry, etc.) and mocktails (fake Pina Coladas, Margaritas, and so on).  This is right up my alley.  TK has the soda package too.

Reading, napping, writing, and observing took up most of our day.  We did get our table reservations secure and the dinner highlight was beef medallions, tapioca and fruit salad, and peach melba. 

We saw the Princess production, Bravo, a show we did not get a chance to see in November on the Regal Princess. It was outstanding. The singers and dancers were very good. Neither TK nor I know how the settings are accomplished, but they were spectacular, along with the lighting. Clouds floating by windows, a serene lake scene, candles burning in chandeliers, how do they do that?  There always are several ballet dances, too.   Some of the numbers included “Unchained Melody,” “The Wind Beneath My Wings,” “Thunder Ball,” “Somebody to Love,” and “I Will Always Love You,” all songs I really like.

The Princess Theater

One cannot photograph productions

The weather was warmer today as we are headed south. The rain stopped outdoor activities, but the sun shone brightly in the afternoon.

TK’s Takes: We met some people from Bellingham, Washington—TK’s friend Jon used to live there and TK has visited the area several times. Also, he found out that ship is  only partially full, 2600 passengers. Its capacity is 3200.  There are a few children on board and two babies, but most of the passengers are our age.

 

TK mourned the magnet hooks he left behind

He found this cute little guy in the gift shop-

he serves his purpose well (those are our "Medallions" that we

need to get into our room and buy our soda or coffee)

Will explain that more tomorrow!

CARIBBEAN PRINCESS 2023!

Caribbean Princess
At Sea/Atlantic Ocean, leaving Fort Lauderdale/Port Everglades
January 27, 2023
65F--seems cooler

We took our time this morning because the ship would not accept passengers till 2 p.m.  I will say that the hotel personnel did bring us another chair last night so TK and I did not have to fight over one chair in the room.

Anyway, the front desk clerk told us there was a brand new mall nearby. That is where we headed, Dania Pointe Mall.  New construction is everywhere, including two new hotels by the mall, a Hilton and a Marriott, as well as three high rise apartment buildings that are not yet finished.  The contemporary shops and restaurants are new, and it is nicely landscaped with fountains. Since the stores were not open yet this morning, we decided to have breakfast at First Watch---it was very busy and quite upscale.  We were offered seating outdoors but it was too cool  for us. The freshly made waffle was very good and TK liked the blueberry muffin.  Many shops will be moving in, but I  did some damage at Tommy Bahamas.

Parking the truck was easy once we found the parking site and soon we were headed to the Caribbean Princess. TK reminded me that we have sailed this ship before—2014.  I know I should not say the ships all look alike to me, so I won’t.  Everything went smoothly as we boarded—passengers and carryon luggage must go through security, passports are shown, and today we walked right onto the ship after security  with no waiting at 2 p.m. We were also able to go to our stateroom and drop off our luggage. We had a small snack and met a lovely English couple at the buffet.

C209--10th Deck--the TV is reflected in the mirror over the desk

This balcony is larger than usual

Doesn't everyone want to see the bathroom?? They are quite compact

Today is a tiring day because  of “fuss” of boarding, organizing the room, unpacking, and so on. We had dinner at 6 p.m., and settled in for the night.  Tonight’s dinner was Yankee pot roast, one of the best dinners I have ever had on a ship. Everything tasted just right, no odd spices or anything. Maybe the powers in charge actually read my comments on the survey after the last cruise!

What would the blog be without some food photos?

This is marscapone and berry something or other, it was good

TK’s Takes: He got lost at the airport trying to find our Park and Go place—but Janie comments that the GPS was not clear, and it was easy to take the wrong off ramp.  He also said he forgot some of his favorite things, his magnetic hooks that affix to the stateroom wall and so on.  I know he is tired—we have the next two days to get our shipboard bearings. I’m tired too.

Hey Jim! We really appreciate your comments!

SAWGRASS MILL, CHEESECAKE FACTORY, AND TRAFFIC!

Wyndham Garden Ft Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port
Dania Beach, Florida
January 26, 2023
70F

The drive is only 2 ½ hours from the Space Coast to Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall, the largest outlet and value retail shopping destination in the United States.  From the website, “With more than 350 stores, including outlet locations from Nike and Ralph Lauren, plus value retailers OFF 5th Saks Fifth Avenue, Target, Marshalls and electronics superstore, BrandsMart USA, Sawgrass Mills has everything from fashion and jewelry to electronics, sporting equipment, beauty products, home accessories, toys and more.  There is something for everyone in this enclosed, air conditioned and climate controlled mall located just 30 minutes from Miami International Airport and 15 minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.  

"Fashionistas will delight in luxury-brand outlet shopping at The Colonnade Outlets at Sawgrass Mills with over 70 exclusive outlets not found anywhere else in South Florida including Burberry, GUCCI, Jimmy Choo, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo Company Store, Tory Burch and Versace.”

Map of Sawgrass Mills

https://www.simon.com/mall/sawgrass-mills

 

Obviously, I do like shopping at this mall. That said, we did not really buy much—sunscreen and batteries for my new travel alarm clock (forgot my favorite one).  Since this is a really big mall, it is a good place to do some walking! By 2:30 p.m., we were ready to eat at Cheesecake Factory. Their pizza is especially good, as well as the cheese quesadillas. We did not have any cheesecake this visit.

 

The half hour drive to our hotel was challenging—cars darting in and out of six lane traffic going one direction, motorcycles traveling faster than the speed of light with no worries as they weaved between cars and trucks.  Life in the almost big city. 

We have stayed at this Wyndham before, but we forgot how narrow and treacherous the parking garage is—despite driving fire pumper trucks, it was still a challenge. We also forgot that the hotel only provides one chair in a guest room—and right now I am in the bar writing during happy hour.  I sure did not want to fight my hero and trip planner over one chair.  I think this hotel accommodates a lot of airline personnel, pilots and flight attendants, as well as people arriving by plane preparing to cruise. 

I forgot to mention that TK was able to get all of these hotels along the way at  no cost because of points—that does count for something! The hotels we have booked for going home are also at no cost.

And, TK  received an email this morning that the ship will not begin boarding until 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon because they are going to do a deep cleaning, not because of Covid, but norovirus.  We will get through this!

It was nice talking with friends Julie, Mary, and Ann today while TK drove. The calls weren’t long, but I enjoyed the company.  The weather has been warm and comfortable!

TK’s Takes:  He has seen boar, turkeys, and monarch butterflies as we travel.

 

 

NEBRASKA, FLORIDA, AND PENNSYLVANIA MEET! ON TO CAPE CANAVERAL!

Towne Place Suites by Marriott
Cape Canaveral, Florida
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
86F

 Thankfully, TK was able to disengage my gold earring from the trap under the sink this morning. After that rescue we were ready to visit Judy P, my longtime friend from my year of school in France. Originally from Nebraska, she now lives in St. Augustine. This week she was but camping for solace not far from her home.  We haven’t seen her in three years, and it was great to see her!

TK and Janie at Sun Outdoors Campground

Judy and Janie, friends since 1968!

Sun Outdoors Campground, St. Augustine, Florida

https://www.sunoutdoors.com/florida

We drove along A1A / Atlantic Ocean for some time, noting the work to replenish the sand that has washed away right along the road. It is kind of an oxymoron to see the multi-million-dollar homes next to houses that did not survive recent hurricanes and are now in ruins.

By 1 p.m. we arrived at Dixie Crossroads in Titusville, Florida, a favorite for many years. Fresh shrimp, my favorite fries, and “Krabby Bites,” amazing corn fritters covered with powdered sugar, what’s not to love?

TK is such a good model at Dixie Crossroads

Dixie Crossroads:  12 medium shrimp and fries!

https://dixiecrossroads.com/

Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach were about a half hour away, and after checking in to our hotel, we headed to RonJon’s.  We did not linger long, stopped at Walmart for a battery operated alarm because I forgot mine, and returned to the hotel just in time for their complimentary buffet.

 Another short day.