MS Koningsdam Caribbean Cruise

November 12 started a new adventure for the Barrows. Hugh and I packed up the car and drove to Fort Pierce, Florida where we spent the night. The next day we dressed in our summer clothes and drove around the city before going on to Fort Lauderdale. Using our GPS we found the parking garage I had arranged and soon were on a bus to the port… today we board Holland Americas newest ship the MS Koningsdam for a 10 day Caribbean cruise. When we arrived at the port they were short of help (port workers not Holland America) and we were in a mile-long line to get through security. We quickly checked in and were soon in the que to board the ship. Once on board we were able to get to our cabin and our luggage was waiting. It took us about 30 minutes to unpack and set up our cabin just the way we wanted it. It was then time to go get some lunch and explore the ship. This ship is very modern in design with very different style from the other ships we have been on. It is also much larger. We realized quickly that we would have to allow extra time for travel between places. We checked out as much as we could and then went out on the upper deck for the sail away and to get some pictures. Bye, bye Fort Lauderdale and hello adventure.

Our first day was spent in Half Moon Cay, a resort island owned by HAL. We have been here before so we knew what we wanted to do. Dressed in bathing suits we boarded the tender and immediately upon arrival started the beautiful very long walk down the beach to the end of the island. The water was cool but the sun was hot. As we walked back the lunch bell rang and we headed to the barbeque. The burgers were delicious as was the corn on the cob. We decided to finish our time with a walk to the other side of the island. We arrived back to claim our towels just in time to get in line and tender back to the ship. It was a great day and we were happy the weather cooperated; we missed our last time here because it was pouring rain and very windy.

Our second day was spent in Grand Turk and this was probably one of our favorite days. We had arranged an ATV adventure around the island. We each had our own vehicle and we traveled on the roads and on the sand. We were able to go all around and our guide made sure we obeyed the laws and drove on the British side of the street. This was so much fun but we were hot and tired when we finished. We went back to the ship and washed up and had a late lunch before exploring around the port where there is a nice tribute to NASA and John Glenn.

Next stop was the Dominican Republic and we had a cultural tour of the city of Puerto Plata. We arrived at the port of Amber Cove with its great shops. We had a comfortable bus and really got to see a large part of the largest city which was a distance from the port. The travel time also allowed us to see the countryside. We visited a rum factory, a fort, museums, shops, and had lunch at a botanical garden. This adventure took our whole day but we saw much more than we would have if we had stayed near the port.

After a sea day we made it to Bonaire. This is one of our old diving areas so we did not plan anything here but a leisurely stay on the beach. We left the ship and walked about 3 miles through the town and out to Eden Beach. We were here last fall and loved it. We claimed our lounges and umbrella and checked some email before settling down to read. We had some rain but soon the sun was back and it was toasty. We took a walk down the beach and found the resort we always stayed in, The Sand Dollar. It looked busy and still had the large iguanas sunning themselves on the beach wall. When we went back Hugh snorkeled and made pictures of the fish and I wadded and just looked at the fish from above. The water is so clear you can see everything. The fish were plentiful and we were both happy. It was getting late and hot so we decided to take the water taxi back to town. We showered and had a late lunch before going out for a walk through town. We sailed later because we had such a short distance to go.

This morning we awoke in Curacao, one of our favorite stops. We were off the ship early trying to beat the heat but we found out it had not cooled much overnight. We walked along the Punda and through the fort before we crossed Queen Emma Bridge to the Otter Punda. There was a celebration of some sort and all the children had on costumes and there was a lot of families out and about. We crossed the bridge and continued our exploring. The colors of the building always entice me to make too many pictures but the light changes and it looks so different. We walked all around the town and visited a beach area with a very nice hotel that we had not seen on other visits. As we were making our way back to the ship we stopped in a Dutch shop and did some shopping. Back on the ship we cooled off and then went to a late lunch. After resting a bit, we went back into town and enjoyed the early evening and the lights. We also went back after dark to see the lights and use the Wi-Fi.

We sailed late again and woke up in Aruba to pouring rain. We ate breakfast in the dining room and made the decision not to let the liquid sunshine spoil our day. We donned nylon shorts, Keen sandals, and our raincoats and headed out. It was flooding in the city and we were half way to our knees in water when we crossed the streets. We were happy we had not worn flip-flops as we might have lost them. We made our usual trip around the city although it took longer than usual as it was hard to navigate with the streets looking like rivers. It was Sunday and very little was open and when we made it to the park area we were forced to avail ourselves of a porta-potty (any porta-potty in a storm) before we made our way back through the town. When we made it to the port the rain was slacking off some and we decided to walk along the shore in a direction we had not been before. We were tired and wet when we finally made our way back on the ship but oh so happy we had gotten out.

Our next 2 days were spent at sea. Throughout this trip we tried the specialty restaurants on board, went to the evening shows, listened to music in different venues, and sat by the pool. There was a lot to do but we also had time to rest. We arrived back in Fort Lauderdale tanned, rested, and just a little bit heavier but very happy.
Bye Koningsdam, hope to sail with you again!