Caribbean
Carnival Conquest Day 10 – Curacao
I like Curacao. It is beautiful and has interesting shops and restaurants. This is probably the port that I was most looking forward to seeing again. My last visit was about 10 years ago and a lot has changed. The port is more built up and there are more hotels, shops and casinos on the … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 8 – Grenada
Grenada is “the spice island” – famous for the variety of spices grown there. I have visited the island before and have fond memories of it, particularly the harbor. But the island virtually shuts down on Sunday, so all the harbor was good for on this trip was a few photo opportunities. We got a … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 7 – Barbados
Today’s port was Bridgetown Barbados. We had breakfast in the buffet, as usual, and left the ship a bit late because we had a lovely chat with a Marisa, a fellow passenger from NJ. The port is nearly two miles from the center to town. But Marlene and I like to walk, so we hoofed. … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 6 – Dominica
Our itinerary has 5 straight port days where we arrive at 8:30am and depart at 4:30pm. Today’s port was Roseau, Dominica. We had breakfast in the buffet and then disembarked to wander around the town. It is less “third-worldy” than Antigua, but more so than St Maarten. We bought two clothing items for Marlene and … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 5 – Antigua
Another day, another port. Antigua this time. This is one of the two ports on this trip that will be first-time visits for me. Based on what I saw I won’t be eager to return. We had breakfast in the buffet and chatted with the people at the table next to us. It turns out … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Day 4 – St Maarten
Our first (of 8) ports on this trip was St Maarten. an island with two halves – one a Dutch colony (which we visited) and one a French colony (which we did not visit). It is a highly developed Caribbean island with nice shops (including high-end ones) and some very nice hotels and restaurants. We … Continue reading
Carnival Conquest Days 2 & 3 – At sea
This cruise started with two days at sea. We didn’t do much these days except sleep (Marlene) read (me), spend time (and money) in the casino, eat and attend some shows. But Day 2 was a formal night and Day 3 was my 75th birthday, so we dined in the dining room both nights. Before … Continue reading
Carnival Vista Day 6: At sea
Despite the late night we were up early, before 8am. We went to the casino on the theory that on the last day the odds were best in the morning. That didn’t work for me as I lost $175 (some in the morning, some at night) but still ended the cruise up $2,400. Can’t complain … Continue reading
Carnival Vista Day 5: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos
Marlene stayed in the casino until 5am. She lost, but not much. I got up around 8 and went to breakfast by myself, figuring she would be asleep until noon. But she surprised me by joining me in the buffet before 9. This was the last port day for the cruise: Grand Turk. Once again … Continue reading
Carnival Vista Day 4: Amber Cove, Dominican Republic
I am writing this the day after the cruise ended so I have some catching up to do. We had breakfast in the buffet (tolerable lines this time) then went ashore. We wandered about the port area and bought a few souvenirs. Then we wandered down to the pool area in search of a VERY … Continue reading