My 35-Day Caribbean Itinerary

Here’s how you can spend 35 days in the Caribbean

     This is where we go, and when.
    I guess I should point out that I’ve paid for this cruise and am  not a guest of Holland America or the ms Maasdam.  This is cruise is an incredible value, although after three stops I suspect I’ll get tired of Half Moon Cay.

                               THE GRAND ITINERARY

DAY DATE PORT ARRIVE   DEPART
Fri Nov 12 Fort Lauderdale, FL   5:00pm
Sat Nov 13 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00am 4:00pm
Sun Nov 14 At Sea    
Mon Nov 15 Tortola, British Virgin Islands 11:00am 8:00pm
Tue Nov 16 St. Barts 8:00am 5:00pm
Wed Nov 17 Fort-de-France, Martinique 8:00am 5:00pm
Thu Nov 18 Barbados 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Nov 19 Grenada 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Nov 20 At Sea    
Sun Nov 21 Bonaire 8:00am 5:00pm
Mon Nov 22 Curacao 7:00am 11:00pm
Tue Nov 23 Aruba 8:00am 5:00pm
Wed Nov 24 At Sea    
Thu Nov 25 At Sea    
Fri Nov 26 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am 5:00pm
Sat Nov 27 Nassau, Bahamas 7:00am 2:00pm
Sun Nov 28 At Sea    
Mon Nov 29 San Juan, Puerto Rico 10:00am 8:00pm
Tue Nov 30 St. Barts 9:00am 5:00pm
Wed Dec 1 Roseau, Dominica 8:00am 5:00pm
Thu Dec 2 Antigua 8:00am 5:00pm
Fri Dec 3 St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Dec 4 At Sea    
Sun Dec 5 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00am 4:00pm
Mon Dec 6 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am 5:00pm
Tue Dec 7 Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 8:00am 4:00pm
Wed Dec 8 At Sea    
Thu Dec 9 St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 10:00am 7:00pm
Fri Dec 10 St. Kitts 8:00am 5:00pm
Sat Dec 11 St. Vincent 10:00am 7:00pm
Sun Dec 12 Barbados 8:00am 5:00pm
Mon Dec 13 St. Lucia 8:00am 4:00pm
Tue Dec 14 St. Maarten 9:00am 8:00pm
Wed Dec 15 At Sea    
Thu Dec 16 At Sea    
Fri Dec 17 Fort Lauderdale, FL 7:00am  

 

Caribbean Cruise – What To Pack

Consider These The Bare Essentials
 
 Which clothes to pack for a Caribbean cruise is simpler than you think. Your two most important considerations are comfort and practicality.
     Before deciding what to pack, do your homework first to narrow your focus and eliminate the urge to throw things in the suitcase at the last minute for “just in case.”
     Make a list of every day’s port of call and the activities you plan to participate in at each.
      How many days do you spend at sea? That requires almost no wardrobe. You can spend the entire day in a bathing suit if you wish.  
     Now that you know your itinerary, get down to serious business.  Remember, most people don’t dress or look like the models in cruise advertisements. There’s no need to break the bank on clothing for a cruise.  Save your money for fun things to do at the different ports you’ll be visiting.  
     Most things you need are in your closet.
     The usual basics are best for both men and women.  
     For men: Slacks and a polo-style shirt are appropriate attire for a man at dinner and the shirt can be worn the next day with shorts.  The only night men need a coat and tie is the formal evening.
     For women: Don’t limit yourself to dresses and heels–you may regret it. Dinner wear is actually fairly simple. For daytime, bring a pair of light slacks and a pair of black slacks with blouses or tanks.   Formal night is whatever you want it to be but slacks with a dressy blouse are fine
      Footwear: A must have item are black walking/tennis shoes.  Both for men and women. Yes, even on formal nights.  Ladies, trust me, in rough seas walking can be tough and you don’t want to be in heels. Who’s going to look at your feet anyway?  
      Why such casual footwear? Your cruise ship’s main dining rooms may not be located on the same floor as your stateroom. So, you may have to climb stairs and walk from one end of the ship to the other—in rough seas. Be comfortable. You’re on vacation.
     Sweater: Even though it’s warm and humid in the Caribbean, air conditioning can make dining chilly.  A good investment for a woman is a nice light-weight black sweater.  It can be stuffed into a carry-on bag and pulled out at a moment’s notice to dress you up while wearing casual slacks.
     Two bathing suits are all you need to carry on board.  One to wear while the other one dries.
     Cover ups are important to remember but towels are furnished poolside and for beach trips in port.
     Snorkel equipment is usually included with shore excursions. But if you have your own gear, bring it. Then you’ll know your mask won’t leak and the fins won’t blister your feet.
     Lightweight rain jacket just in case liquid sunshine decides to dump on you. Some rain jackets fold into themselves to make packing easier.
  Small rain umbrella when combined with lightweight rain jacket is as much good luck as you can possibly pack to stave off rain. Cruising during the Caribbean’s usual January-April dry season is the most powerful rain deterrent

Formal Attire for A 35-Day Cruise

You can observe as many or as few formal nights as you wish

I have worn a tux to dinner on cruise ships and I would do it again but . . . I’ve added 20 pounds that won’t into my tux.  
     Every cruise line has its own dress code. On Holland America (HAL) and the Maasdam, women have more choices for formal nights. They can wear a suit, cocktail dress or gown. Men are confined to a jacket and tie, either with a dark suit or tuxedo. HAL typically has two formal nights a week, so 10 nights for my five week cruise is par for the course.
     If you don’t want to pack formal wear or–like mine–yours seems to have shrunk, you can order it by calling Cruiseline Formalwear at 800-551-5091 or reserve it online. A tux with two shirts ranges from $85-$160, depending on how elaborate you want to be. Your formal wear should be hanging in your stateroom closet when you board.  
     On the other 25 days, the dress code is “smart casual,” Women can pretty much get away anything decent looking while men need only to wear slacks (no blue jeans and certainly not shorts!) and a collared shirt. 
     Here’s a secret about formal nights both men and women might appreciate. Forget about elaborate footwear—no one looks at your feet. I always wear classy looking black sneakers for every formal occasion whether on a ship or anywhere else.
     How to avoid formal nights but not miss out on any special delicacies served for dinner. The menu for every evening is posted in advance outside the main dining room, where the formal affairs take place. Check it, then compare with the dinner menu posted outside the buffet restaurant, assuming one is there. Haven’t cruised on HAL in several years so not sure about their current practice. 
     The sure-fire way to have one of the best dinners possible.  Most cruise lines offer room service but sometimes the menu is so limited it’s useless. However, on Holland America, you can order from the dinner menu and have your selections delivered fresh to your stateroom. 
     Don’t place your order before or during the first seating. Call and place your order between the first and second seating. Everything will be prepared fresh and not something taken off the line.
     Tip your room service server $2-$3. The next time you call, you have no idea how much attention will be paid to your order.
     As a writer and photographer (who needs to write a post and download/identify images after every cruise port) I order in probably more than most. Especially on formal nights.
     Being able to order from the full menu for room service anytime of day is one reason I really like cruising Holland America.  Still, this bonus feature would be irrelevant and meaningless if the food wasn’t so good. 
     I’ve had several of my best lifetime meals ever via Holland America room service. Pretty impressive considering I’ve visited and dined on every continent, including Antarctica.  A chilled bottle of champagne was the best Antarctica had to offer.

Orlando *Essential* Guide iTunes app

Orlando *Essential* Guide from iTunes

Screen shots from Orlando Essential Guide iTunes app

Find what you need to know before you go!

If you or someone you know is coming to Orlando, downloading the best-selling iTunes Orlando *Essential* Guide is one of the smartest to prepare for your trip. 
     With 200 entries and almost 1,700 photographs, this iPhone/iTouch/iPad compatible app will eliminate most of the uncertainty whether you are a first-time or tenth-time visitor.
     With almost 100 attractions near Orlando, how do you know which ones to see and which major theme parks really deliver? Where the locals go to eat, drink and play?  Find out with this essential guide to Orlando’s very best. 
     Open any entry and you will find the following items: text description, live web links, slide show and a map with live GPS that will plot the route to take you to the attraction’s parking lot.  How convenient is that?
     Cost of the app is only $2.99 and it comes with free lifetime updates–even if the price of the app increases.            
     Download Orlando *Essential* Guide now from iTunes

A 35-Day Cruise – Forget Driving & Parking

 

Although the following nuts and bolts relate to my extended 35-day cruise, the situation applies to everyone wanting to slash both their travel costs and port parking charges.   

My 35-day Caribbean cruise aboard the ms Maasdam departing Nov. 12 from Fort Lauderdale comes with a few problems. Most important is determining the most efficient (cheapest) way to travel from the Orlando area. Driving my own vehicle is out of the question with Port Everglades charging $20 a day for parking. That will come to $700 or about 25percent of the actual cruise cost. Forget that.

Going by air is not feasible. Although the distance between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale is only about 215 miles, flying is an unreasonable and expensive proposition. Except for Spirit Airlines, whose direct flight with a very good schedule is only $120 per person roundtrip. Unfortunately, based on flying Spirit, I will never ever fly Spirit again. The airline doesn’t know what a schedule means. Further, luggage and a glass of water or anything (besides toilet paper?) on Spirit will be an extra charge.

Southwest Airlines with two free bags per person is a more attractive alternative but the roundtrip fare still is about $200 per person.  AirTran, a favorite that does not fly directly to Fort Lauderdale, is $373. The best Priceline comes up with is $688 with multiple stops on Continental. Ridiculous since I can fly Continental from Orlando to San Diego for about $300.

My best option is a rental car. Using my discount as a member of BJ’s Wholesale Club, Budget Rent-A-Car rents me an intermediate vehicle from Orlando to the Fort Lauderdale International Airport with drop off there for about $100. The cost for the return is the same. I like that.

The Fort Lauderdale airport happens to be so close to the Port Everglades cruise terminal that rental car companies provide a free shuttle to the ships.  Now, that’s a deal!

Perhaps most importantly, the amount of luggage is irrelevant. It does take a lot of luggage for a 35-day cruise. More importantly, there is the matter of souvenirs. Cruise lines don’t care how much you buy as long as it all fits it in your stateroom and can  leave the ship with the rest of the baggage.

So I also will be bringing some extra suitcases, empty when I depart but packed solid when I return. And have no concern about their weight. The varieties of Caribbean hot sauces will weigh at least 20 pounds, if not more. And if I see another 35-pound carved wooden mask to add to my collection, so what?  Or a painting that I can hand-carry off the ship and not worry about being crushed in airline luggage.

Point of all this: Consider your best option for traveling to the port regardless of cruise length.

But with 35 days at sea, there still is more to consider. As you will see in tomorrow’s blog

A 35-Day Caribbean Cruise? For Real?

The typical 7-day Caribbean cruise may be fine for most people but I find them disappointing. Just as you’re becoming accustomed to ship-board life, it’s time to return to port. And 7 days, even from Florida, doesn’t offer the chance to travel very far.

Still, when I spotted a 35-day Caribbean cruise aboard the ms Maasdam on VacationsToGo.com, I thought it had to be a misprint. Thirty-five days is a third of the length of most around the world voyages.

Yet it was true, a 35-day tour of 19 different islands with only two repeats—St. Barts and Barbados, two of my favorites. Plus three stops at Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s water sports playground, and two returns to the home port of Fort Lauderdale.

cruise-ships-maasdam

The Maasdam, My Future Home For 35 Days

The 35-day cruise is actually a piggyback of three different itineraries of the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, including such rarely visited islands as St. Vincent and Martinique and quite a few ports off the regular milk runs: St. Barts, St. Croix, Grenada, Aruba Bonaire and Curacao.

The Maasdam, carrying only 1,250 passengers, is able to visit these islands that mega-ships ferrying between 4,000 and 5,500 cruisers cannot dock at and whose ports cannot handle such hoards of cruisers. Long live the smaller ships!      

Perhaps the most amazing thing of all is the price of this itinerary. Including government taxes and port charges, it averages $73.35 a day for an inside cabin.  (Hey, I’m a blogger!) My wife and I signed up for the cruise, which departs from Fort Lauderdale in just 10 days.   

But planning for a cruise of this length presents some unusual problems. Living in Orlando, it’s not worth flying to Fort Lauderdale but Port Everglades charges $20 a day for parking ($20 x 35=$700). Has to be a way around that!

Join me and Linda on this blog for the next few days as we check off and solve the problems before sailing and anticipate a few issues we expect to encounter on board.

Then follow us as we explore the islands and life on board the ms Maasdam for more than a month.

Ashford Castle Named Top Hotel In Europe

Ashford Castle, 800 years old and counting

Ashford Castle Exterior

Ireland’s Ashford Castle not only is the “Top Resort in Ireland” but “Top Resort in Europe” according to readers of Condé Nast Traveler in the magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards.

Runners-up were the Villa d’Este on Italy’s Lake Como and the Hotel du Cap-Eden Roc in Antibes on the French Riviera.

Ashford Castle, which sits on 350 acres of County Mayo on the shores of both Lough Corrib and the River Cong, has a long history, dating back to 1228. A hotel since 1939 with 83 guestrooms and suites, the castle enjoys an exceptional backdrop of forest, lake, river and mountains. It offers a remarkable collection of “country sports” featuring horseback riding, fly fishing, golf on its exclusive nine-hole course and Ireland’s first school of falconry.

The Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice recognition comes on top of Ashford Castle’s 2010 Gold Medal from the Green Hospitality Awards and Trip Advisor’s 2010 top ten picks for European castle hotels.

I stayed at this grand old castle many years back and it was an unforgettable experience. Ashford definitely is staying with the times, even offering “Hogwarts Family Midterm Break” packages.

For more information on Ashford Castle, visit www.ashford.ie