We spent two days in Ft Lauderdale with our colleagues from Cruise Specialists preparing for the Bon Voyage Party and Dinner. We greeted guests as they arrived at the hotel, helped with luggage, and prepared the gift bags that we distributed to each guest. It was fun visiting with everyone at our Cocktail Party and Dinner.
Saturday morning, we headed to the ship. Our entire group was granted priority status and were among the first to board! The whole process was smooth and easy, and our luggage and supplies were delivered to our cabin by late afternoon.
Once on board, we toured the ship to find all our favorite staff and crew. Our next two days were at sea, giving everyone a chance to get settled, rest, and get acquainted with the ship. We were delighted to find our favorite dance band was back!
We’ve heard several different numbers, but the passenger count right now is only between 760 and 780. Considering a full ship would be over 1,300, we are about half full and will remain that way until Barcelona at the end of April, when more passengers will join us.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Before we knew it, it was time for our first port - Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. This is a new country for us, number 98, so we were hoping to find at least one geocache to make it official. Located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, the Dominican Republic shares the island with Haiti to the West. Santo Domingo is the Capital and is known for its beautiful Spanish landmarks in the Zona Colonial.
We docked at what looked like a relatively new cruise terminal about a half hour walk from the colonial area and were greeted by costumed locals singing and dancing to welcome us to their city. We walked along a busy street until we came to a bridge leading to the more scenic area. Passing through an ornate arch, the city noise faded away and a serene atmosphere took over. There were inviting cafes, small boutique hotels, and a variety of churches, museums, and plazas. We walked along the Calle Las Damas, the first cobblestone street built in the Americas; passed through the Alcazar de Colon; enjoyed the Parque Colon with its bronze statue of Christopher Columbus; and got as far as the majestic Palacio National, made of roseate marble with 200,000 square feet of space and manicured grounds.
Onboard Fun
Holland America really went all out to make this voyage special. We’ve already had a Disco Inferno Party, a Cake Me Away Extravaganza, varieties of chocolates on our beds every night, sparkling wine with lunch on day one, complimentary wine with dinner on the first dressy night, and a really fun Block Party. At the Block Party, you bring a wine glass out into the hall and, while you meet your neighbors, someone is filling and refilling your glass and distributing lovely plates of canapés and fruit for about an hour. All this excitement and it is only day 6!
Santa Marta, Colombia
Our next port of call was Santa Marta, the oldest city in Colombia. Situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Nevada Mountains, it is fringed with lovely beaches, some only accessible by boat.
We had no specific plans for the day, so we took the shuttle to the port gates and walked along the lovely Malecón de Bastidas - another name for the bayside promenade. This is an upscale part of town with modern buildings, cafés, souvenir booths, and an inviting beach - which was populated today with local families. When we reached the end of it, we turned inland to explore a few of the points of interest noted on the map that was distributed to each guest on the ship. We stopped at the Parque de los Novios, a popular gathering place and the Santa Marta Cathedral, Colombia’s oldest church. The Gold Museum is another popular destination which we passed but did not go in. Much further away is the Tayrona National Park - 37,000 acres of forests, mangroves, beaches, trails, and archeological remains - a trip for another time.
It was another hot and sunny day, so we didn’t last long, returning to the ship by 11:00 am, as it was going to hit 90 degrees by noon.
We are enjoying this pace of sea days in between the ports. Next stop is Puerto Limon, Costa Rica, where we will host our first Cruise Specialists group tour of the voyage.
Wendy and Steve
Continue Reading:
A Bon Voyage! | Costa Rica & Panama | Ecuador and Northern Peru | Wendy's Adventures in Peru | Steve's Adventure in Machu Picchu | Arica and San Antonio, Chile | Robinson Crusoe & Southern Chile | More Chile & Argentina | Antarctica | Falkland Islands | Montevideo & Punta del Este | Brazil | The Amazon | Salvation Islands | Arriving in Africa | Canary Islands & Morocco | Gibraltar and Barcelona | Spain & Portugal | France, Belgium and The Netherlands | Scotland and Norway | More Norway | Iceland | Greenland | Canada & New England | Voyage Summary
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