Anniversary Cruise! Arriving in Puerto Rico

My husband and I were celebrating a Big Anniversary a couple of years ago, so we thought it would be nice to cruise the Caribbean, then revisit our “old haunts” in PuertoRico, which is where he was stationed (NAS Roosevelt Roads) just a month after we were married. Back then, I had to stay behind to save up enough funds to ship our household goods, our car, and myself to the island to join him. That took six months. It was a very long six months!

This time, though, we were going together. At the same time. Here's my diary from the trip:

April 24 – San Francisco to Charlotte

 

Here we are on US Air Flight 404, on the first leg of our red-eye flight. We'll transfer in Charlotte, NC. I haven't been in North Carolina since many years ago, when I was a preteen and my family drove through the state on our way to Florida. We were moving from the Montreal area to the United States. But I digress, as I am so prone to do!

Tired but excited!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

They've loaded the plane early. Everyone must be on board, because they are getting ready to shut the door – almost ½ hour early. Come on! Who ever heard of that?! Night-night. The cabin lights are about to go off.

April 25 – Charlotte to San Juan

I have a hard time sleeping on airplanes, even red-eye flights. I couldn't stay awake, and I couldn't stay asleep. Note to self: Next time, get some Ambien or Benadryl or something!

So, the sleep deprivation (and a little stress, but we won't go there) explains what happened at the airport in San Juan. Without thinking, we allowed our carry-on luggage to be loaded into the van and transported to the ship along with our checked luggage. So, it wasn't with us. What a knuckle-headed thing to do [Just how knuckle-headed, we wouldn't find out until later]! When we got to the ship, which was just a 10 or 15 minute ride on the shuttle, the bags had been “delayed” [ya...no kidding...they were probably going through all the unlocked bags...], so there we were in our traveling clothes instead of the bathing suits I had specifically packed in the carry-ons so we could hang out by the pool or in the hot tub. Ah, well.

The main lobby. Fancy!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The ship, the Caribbean Princess, is lovely. It's almost exactly – if not exactly exactly – like the Sapphire Princess [another cruise...], which makes it easy, convenient, and nice for orienting oneself and finding where things are located.

We went up to the buffet for a light lunch around 2 p.m. The weather was cloudy and warm on this day, but no rain. Then sunshine. Then cloudy again. We must be in Puerto Rico. Yay!

Have the bags arrived?
In our cabin. Very nice!
Photo by Harry. All rights reserved.

It seemed like a good idea to drop by the cabin to see if our bags had arrived yet. And, hurray, the carry-on with the shoes and snorkel gear had arrived (very useful on the ship...). Just a tiny problem, though: The bag was in total disarray, and Harry's brand-new, never-been-used-before, purchased-just-for-the-trip camera was not in the zippered pocket of the bag. Sometime between when we entrusted our luggage to the cruise guys [As far as we knew at the time, it was “the cruise guys.” Turns out, it was a “independent” transport crew that the cruise line is not responsible for. Beware!] and the time it arrived in our room, someone had rifled through the bag and stolen the camera. I called the concierge desk to report the missing camera and filed a report. Since we didn't have the cruise line's own travel insurance, having opted for one through the travel agent, we would have to file a claim with our insurance company if the camera didn't turn up. I was very upset. It wasn't about the camera being stolen...it was about not being able to take pictures with it.

Making the best of it.
Actually got compliments!
Photo by Harry. All rights reserved.

As I had walked away from the bags at the airport, a small voice inside my head said, “Take your carry-ons with you!” But I was too tired and sleepy from the trip to go back to the luggage area. Very disappointing way to start a dream vacation.

A second carry-on, the one with my swimsuit cover-up/dress, arrived, so I changed into that. Harry was able to at least take off his boots and put on some sandals.

To make a long story short, the bag with our clothing finally arrived, but not before we had already gone to dinner. Note to self: See? You packed too many clothes, anyway. Response to self: Oh, yah? We'll see about that.

Waiting for the movie.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

After dinner, we went up on deck to watch the “movie under the stars.” It was a Tina Turner concert, and it was a lot of fun. [I know you want to know what we had for dinner. I'm getting to that, don't worry.] After the movie, we went to the Explorer Lounge to see a flamenco guitarist, Juan Carlos, complete with really terrific dancers. Juan Carlos was outstanding. What with the ship being docked right next to Old San Juan in Puerto Rico, it seemed entirely appropriate to enjoy a Pina Colada. San Juan is, after all, the place where Pina Coladas were “invented” or “created” or “concocted” or whatever. How about “first served”? Yes, that's it.

Fabulous! Juan Carlos & Dancers
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Dinner in the dining room was simply excellent. I started with a very tasty spring roll with peanut sauce, followed by a fresh and crisp Caesar salad. Next, I chose a cool and refreshing Pina Colada yogurt soup. For my main dish, I decided on pan-seared barramundi with rice pilaf and asparagus spears. Finally, for dessert, Bananas Foster. Yum! Harry had seafood terrine, mushroom soup, Cajun-style crawdad pot pie, and also the Bananas Foster. Having trouble breathing because you're so stuffed after imagining all that? Yes, you can order an appetizer and the soup and a salad and a main dish and dessert. Still hungry? Yes, you can order two appetizers and two main dishes and two desserts. No, you don't have to decide between two equally enticing dishes. You can have them both! The answer is “Yes!” Don't feel like eating in the dining room? The same delicious food is being offered in the buffet area (in case you want to eat twice...).

There were only two table mates who joined us at our table-for-six this evening. They seemed very nice but were rather shy and non-conversational. It was hard work. But perhaps they were really tired from their flight, too.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro
("El Morro" for short)
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Following dinner, my husband and I went to the lounge for a comedy act, but it turned out to be rather vulgar. We stayed for maybe 5 minutes of it (thankfully), then went up on deck for the sail-away past El Morro. It was unfortunately a very dark night, so pictures with my camera were a waste (Harry's MIA camera would have caught the scenes perfectly...grrr...). Well, “It is what it is,” as they say; I am over the initial anger and have determined not to allow this one unfortunate incident to ruin a fabulous vacation.

Our room, A219 – Aloha Deck, is just like the cabin on our cruise to Mexico [more on that soon in another blog entry], only the floor plan is reversed. The lovely soap and shampoo and lotion are the same (must be a specially-made formula for Princess lines). Smells delicious (but don't eat it)!

This afternoon, I “won” a port and shopping book at the drawing, so now I shall have to go shopping so I can save lots of money.

My husband did really well today, all things considered, except he made me a tiny bit crazy asking, “So, what's next?” while I was trying to empty the bags and stow our stuff. It was almost as though he was doing it on purpose to frustrate me. Almost. But of course he would not do that, right?

As we sail away from Puerto Rico, I find I'm looking forward to our longer stay on the island right after the cruise. My husband's brother and our sister-in-law will be joining us. I hope they want to visit Old San Juan! But we shall have a wonderful time, no matter what.

View from balcony, stage left.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

My legs are kind of sore from all the trips up and down the stairs today. I prefer to use the stairs rather than the elevators. This is so I can burn off all (or at least some) of the extra calories I know I'm consuming because of the tasty, ever-present, enticingly delicious, and pretty-much-always-available food and snacks. Yes, I know I could be eating light. But you're kidding, right?

All in all, it's an excellent start. Tomorrow, we'll be in St. Thomas.

Aruba! One Happy Island

Saturday – One Happy Island

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Here we are at the airport. We've gone through customs, which only took an hour, so now we wait for our flight. So sad to be leaving this island! But isn't it great that they have you go through customs right away, instead of half-way through your trip home? Very accommodating.

The cab driver this afternoon was a woman, very friendly (like most everyone else here) and chatty. So I asked her a lot of questions, because I'm curious. She made the short trip to the airport fly by in a flash, and I'm glad we got in her cab.

Like most natives of Aruba, she speaks four languages: Dutch, English, Spanish, and Papiamento (the Aruban language). Her daughter is studying in Holland to be a dietician, and she's already all over her mom about her diet. Kids are the same the world over, eh? She (the cabbie) said that everybody in Aruba owns a home, however modest or lavish it may be. The average wage is about $6 (“working” folks at the hotels and so on...not the doctors and lawyers!). Both spouses have jobs, and everyone lives well and comfortably. If not (she says), it's because the person is lazy and won't work. There is no unemployment here, she says. She has no sympathy for the lazy!

When Arubans vacation, they visit the other islands, Venezuela, Colombia, the United States, and Holland (She calls it Holland rather than The Netherlands). She's been to Holland twice and says it's beautiful, but she wouldn't want to live there. She says it's too big (She likes the size of her island), and it's way to liberal for her. Arubans are Dutch citizens and can just up and move to Holland, but not vice-versa. Folks from Holland have to have a special visa to live in Aruba. Otherwise, she says, they would all be in Aruba! She's glad Aruba is still a safe place, but it has grown a lot in population, and she doesn't know how much longer it will be that way. “You never know who you're letting into the country,” she says. [Again, this was just a couple of weeks before Natalee Holloway disappeared.]

Factoid: Did I mention that the tap water in Aruba is fantastic? I mean, it is truly just delicious and better than most bottled water I've had. It's desalinated, and it's very soft. There's no need for conditioner in your hair.

Factoid: People from other places come here and sometimes sunbathe topless and appear all over the island in various states of undress. While the people at the resorts turn a blind eye, I'm told that Arubans find it highly disrespectful and immodest. So, please try to respect the local culture when you visit the island. We didn't see a lot of toplessness, but we did see one beautiful blond who was completely naked on the beach. However, she was about two years old, so I guess it's okay.

Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We boarded our plane, and my heart grew heavy. As we lifted off, tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I did not want to leave. Not yet. Aruba really is “One Happy Island,” except when you're going home. That part is devastatingly sad.

Aruba! Rental Cars, Souvenirs, and Lost Credit Cards

Friday

California Lighthouse
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Today, the rental car agency came by to get the car. They claimed there was damage to the bumper. I did notice the scratch after our towels were stolen, but I can't say whether or not it was there when we got the car. I do know this: We did not hit anything. Anyway, bummer. We were dinged $100 and found out later this is a common scam here when you don't rent with the big guys. So, it would have been cheaper to spend the extra $30 for an air-conditioned, new vehicle instead of the rattletrap we got. Though, to be fair, it started and stopped on command. C'est la vie. Note to self: Rent from the big guys next time!

I went over to the Alhambra shopping area to see about souvenirs. Sure enough, they had everything right there, and cheaper than downtown! Note to self: Bargain hunting isn't necessarily a bargain! Oh, and the Delft is real [blush]. There was a great teapot, but they don't ship and so I couldn't take it home. We were concerned about the weight of the bags. When we got to the airport, they didn't even weigh them. Good thing, too... I picked up some Aruba Aloe after-sun lotion and bath gel. As I mentioned before, it is great stuff.

Druif Beach, Aruba
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Then we went to relax at the beach. Ahhhh.....bliss.

Resident pelican.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Happy hour at the Tamarijn was extra special, with an extended time and live music by a “no stress” band. It was very fun interacting with the folks who had just arrived, as well as with some who, like us, were leaving. Reluctantly. The sunset was splendiforous, complete with sailboats passing and all that. The resident pelican was diving for his dinner from the pilings, rather successfully. [Interestingly, we ordered a calendar a couple of years ago that accidentally had pictures of bathing suit models in the center. Guess what I saw in the background? Yep. The picture you see here, complete with the resident pelican. Those lucky ladies were in Aruba for a shoot.]

I went for a last swim in the sea. It was a surprisingly emotional experience. As I watched the sun go down, I thought about all the sights and sounds and smells of our vacation, and I'll admit to being a bit teary-eyed at the thought that it was almost over.

We went to have pizza at Pizza Bob's, then walked to the Alhambra to catch the shuttle (Did I mention there's a shuttle that makes a circuit around the resort areas? You just hop on. It's free) and realized when I tried to buy a couple of CDs (I'd found some local music! Have a listen to Nico Connor's "Fragile" from "Caribbean Moods") that I didn't have my credit card. We went back to Bob's to see if they had it, but they couldn't find it, either, and were pretty frantic. I wasn't accusing anyone of anything, but they were taking no chances and looked everywhere. They were taking my plight to heart. In fact, everyone in the place was. Everybody was checking under all the chairs and all over the bar area. So, it was a tiny bit embarrassing when my husband showed and had my card with him [blush]. Everyone was so relieved – especially me – and the owner bought us a drink for our trouble, or to celebrate, whichever. How nice is that? They wanted to make sure we left Aruba with good feelings.

So, we stayed at Pizza Bob's for a while, it being our last evening on the island, and we chatted with some of the customers, one of whom has been coming to Aruba for 21 years in a row. That seems to happen a lot! Again, very nice people, mostly from Boston. I wasn't in a big hurry to get back to “our place,” but I needed to pack our bags. Sigh. No-o-o-o-o-o-o..........