Back in Florida

Sunday - After a week of 79°F temperature, the 69°F of Fort Lauderdale felt “chilly”. Welcome back to the real world. At least we aren’t headed back to snow.

From the parking lot to the RV park was 357 miles and took around 7 hours including a stop at KFC for lunch. This time, we took the Florida Turnpike from Fort Lauderdale to just east of Tampa. The toll was around $18 but after our trip down to the port, well worth it. The only slowdown was when we were near Orlando. So much less stress.

We arrived back around 4:30pm. If we took the non-toll roads, we probably would’ve stopped for the night along the way. So the toll roads were a net savings. 

Monday - It felt cold this morning. The low was 48°F. But by early afternoon, it was up to 80°F so time for a dip in the pool. The pool here was about the same as the ocean so pretty nice. And, the sun felt just as hot!

I got some tasks done. NSA sent some new parts to try and resolve the tow bar not locking into the extended position. The new part looks just like the old one. But I went ahead and installed it. We move next Sunday.

Tuesday - A quiet day but it did get a bit warm and humid. Another good day for the pool. Someone asked me where “home” is. The phrase “home is where we park it” came to mind. It’s kind of accurate, for now, but I think Bridget would like to have some sort of sticks-and-bricks home base. The big question is where. 

Wednesday - This morning, we visited Manatee Springs State Park. It is just across the Suwannee River but to drive there, we head all the way back to Old Town to cross the river. Day use was only $6/vehicle and there was a nice boardwalk to the Suwannee River. 

No manatees in the river or spring. But did see an otter and a lot of turtles. The park was pretty empty probably because there weren’t any manatees. 

This is the Suwannee River from the end of the boardwalk and where saw the otter. 

Afterwards, we picked up more groceries before heading back to the rv park. 

Perfect Day at CocoCay

Saturday - Last night after dinner, we saw a Broadway production of Cats. Which was phenomenal. We were in the second row and many times, the performers were just a few feet away. During the chorus numbers, you could hear individual performers. The action was almost non-stop. 

This morning, we pulled into the Royal Caribbean private island CocoCay. Their literature always says “Perfect Day at CocoCay”. I’m not sure if that’s the official name. The orange tower is a water slide, the sphere to the left is a helium balloon. And, there a lot of other extra cost activities. 

We are here for most of the day. It is cooler as we headed north. It’s 75°F at 6:30 am with a forecasted high of 75°F. 

Later - Hmmm, it shouldn’t be too crowded today. Actually, it’s not too bad once you got off of the pier. I was off the ship shortly after 8am after watching the second boat, Wonder of the Seas, dock. Both are Oasis class cruise ships with over 6K guests each.

My son rented a cabana on the beach for the day. The shade and having a place to relax without fighting the crowds was really nice. Below is the view from the cabana. Not very crowded.

Sea Days Heading North

 

Thursday - This mornings activity was sushi making. We made two rolls, a hand roll, and two nigiri. Both of the rolls had the rice on the outside which I had never successfully done before. One was tempura shrimp and the other was spicy tuna. It was a small class with only ten participants. It was fun. Plus, I had lunch and picked up some knowledge. I think I was the only one asking questions. 

We headed out of Willemstad, Curaçao shortly after sunset with slightly rougher seas due to wind. 

Before lunch, Bridget wanted to watch the parade through the promenade shopping area. Lunch was in the main dining room. Delicious Atlantic cod. 

Followed by mini golf on the sports deck. 

Friday - Another 78°F-79°F day. We are headed northwest through the Bahamas with a stop tomorrow at Royal Caribbeans island, called Perfect Day at Coco Cay. A strange name for an island. 

My son rented a casita on deck 16 looking out over the ocean. 

There were a few light sprinkles in the afternoon though the weather looked much worse to the east. 

This morning, we took a tour of one of the many kitchens. The tour was given by one of the head waiters and he explained the process from food storage through preparation and serving. I thought it was pretty interesting. 

I got to see another part of the ship this morning. While getting breakfast, I slipped on the wet tile and bumped my head. They took me to first aid along the central corridor that runs the full length of the boat on deck 2. They refer to it as I-95. I’m fine and they applied some glue to seal the cut. 

Willemstad, Curaçao

Wednesday - This morning, we came into Willemstad, Curaçao. The second of the ABC islands, which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which we are visiting. 

We have a shore excursion scheduled this morning shortly after docking. The local time AST which is one hour ahead “ship time”. It was suggested that we disable auto time zone update just to avoid confusion. 

It’s interesting to watch the boat coming into the dock. Unfortunately, they seem to dock on the starboard side so I can’t watch from the balcony. 

Later - The tour was on a large bus with a knowledgeable tour guide explaining the different areas we drove through. Very narrow roads with tight corners and traffic. The first stop was at a small botanical garden. I couldn’t hear any of the explanations due to an inadequate sound system. So I just sort of loitered near the back of the group talking to others on the tour.

The views from the bus as we crossed the Queen Juliana Bridge were pretty good. Our ship is the one on the right. 

The second stop was at the distillery where they make and bottle Blue Curaçao liquor. We learned that they also make it in three other colors but they all taste identical. They gave everyone a sample of the blue and a chocolate one. 

The weather here is kind of boring. The temperature doesn’t change even though we are here at the end of the rainy season. We got a little bit of rain while traveling in the bus. 

We arrived back at the boat in time for lunch at the buffet.