Back on Celebrity Apex - Iceland and the U.K.

Celebrity Apex - April 2023

IN APRIL of 2023, we embarked on a cruise originating in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and sailing to Iceland, and then back to Ireland and England, with our good friends and now frequent traveling companions, Bruce and Joyce. It was our second extended trip together, and our first cruise together. It was also our second voyage on the Celebrity Apex.

Rotterdam Centraal Train Station

THE APEX is the second ship in Celebrity's Edge class ships. Celebrity took an interesting (and in our view very positive) approach to the Edge class ships, focusing on design, rather than increasing size and capacity. The ships are only very slightly physically larger than the older, Millenium class ships which were themselves a more traditional approach with larger capacity along with more modern touches. The oldest class of ships are the Solstice Class, which are smaller, and though older, have all now been updated since the introduction of the Edge Class. We have sailed on all 3 classes and there is not much - in our view - not to like about any of them. But with a passenger capacity of something under 2,500 passengers, we think both the Millenium and the newer Edge Class ships are right in the "sweet spot." Large enough to offer a variety of amenities and enough people to be somewhat anonymous without being over-crowded. The Edge class has focused on creating unique and roomy feeling spaces on the ship, as well as a newer, and more current approach to their main dining room concept. Rather than one huge dining room, the Edge class ships are divided into 4 smaller and more intimate dining rooms, each with its own (Italian, French, Greek and Cosmopolitan) theme, but lots of flexibility in ordering food from any of the restaurants. We sailed again on the Apex for a third time on December 30, 2023, in the Caribbean. We have become comfortable with this line of ships, which includes the Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent, and - coming in 2025 - the XCell (purportedly the final ship in the class). While we have not been on Beyond or the brand-new Ascent, we know they have minor changes and "upgrades," but are all essentially the same design.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

AS COMFORTABLE as these Edge class ships are for us, we were excited to introduce Bruce and Joyce to the Apex. And by and large, it was the hit we hoped for. There was only one downside, which can be attributed to our (poor?) planning and not to anything about the ship. Iceland and the North Sea in April can be described in the context of cruising with one word: COLD! As we finished up the cruise in a somewhat warmer Dover and then ultimately, Rotterdam, my wife and I agreed that this was our last "cold weather" cruise. We did do the Baltic a year prior, in September, but that wasn't really cold at that time of year. Nothing like this one. We may have had two decently warm, sunny days on the ship - the sail-away, which was only a couple hours and the final day from Dover up to Rotterdam. Because Bruce and I both enjoy our cigars, we spent way too much time bundled up in the (thankfully at least partially sheltered - but still outdoors and susceptible to the wind) cigar smoking area, in winter clothes and blankets. That is just not our idea of a "fun cruise." But otherwise, the Apex did not disappoint.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

AS WE commonly do, we arrived in Amsterdam a couple days prior to our cruise departure. Bruce and Joyce, who were coming from their summer home in Michigan, traveled ahead of us and spent a week in Amsterdam and then Rotterdam. Having somewhat recently spent a fair amount of time in Amsterdam on two different occasions we decided on this trip to arrive just one day before our sailing (something we strongly recommend for all sailings in order to give yourself some "cushion" for airline cancellations and other unforeseen complications). Sometime after we had booked and planned the cruise, Celebrity announced a significant change in the itinerary. We would now be sailing out of Rotterdam, rather than Amsterdam. As you can imagine, there was a lot of angst expended on the Facebook pages and Cruise Critic site about this change. For us it wasn't a big deal. Even though Rotterdam is a bit further than downtown Amsterdam from Schipol Airport, which serves the entire major metropolitan area, including both Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the difference in train time is only a matter of a few minutes. We know that there are those who commute regularly back and forth. We booked a hotel in Rotterdam and planned to jump on the train from the airport for the short (around 30 minute) ride to the main train station in Rotterdam. Our hotel was only a couple blocks away.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

REMEMBER MY comment above about "unforeseen complications?" For fun, anxiety-free travel we have learned that you need to plan ahead, but also have a "plan B" mentality and be able to "roll with things." Easier in some cases than others, but it has certainly helped us enjoy our traveling. We had purchased one-way train tickets on-line prior to our arrival. The fare is actually quite reasonable (I think, less than 40 euros each). We have grown to appreciate the really good public transportation systems throughout Europe. But we haven't quite gotten to the point where our failure to anticipate a strike or other outage doesn't throw us for a loop. When we arrived, the trains were down all over Amsterdam. It didn't look like things were going to improve that day. We were going to take an Uber, but a very friendly woman at in the airport hallway told us we would have better luck with a taxi, and the cost would be essentially the same: very expensive due to circumstances. But we had a guy to meet for a walking tour of Rotterdam, so we anted up and taxied to our Rotterdam Hotel. Fortunately for us, Bruce and Joyce had arrived the day before, and we could put our luggage in their room, and freshen up before heading to the train station to meet our local guide.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

You have to have a "Plan B" mentality when you travel

THE CHANGE to Rotterdam, as I mentioned, was something we not only took in stride, but actually welcomed, as it would give us a chance to see yet another city we had never visited. And we have been so glad we did so. Rotterdam is, for lack of a better vocabulary on my part, just a very "cool" city. The residents consider themselves the "blue-collar" counterpart to the more upscale Amsterdam. Surprisingly to me, there is not a huge difference between the two cities, with Amsterdam just under 825,000 and Rotterdam just under 625,000 residents. And there was - to us at least - a surprising amount of history surrounding Rotterdam, including it being the city (rather than Amsterdam) to suffer bombardment by the Nazi army during the war.

Cube Houses - Rotterdam, Netherlands

ONE OF the things that Rotterdam is known for is its unique and often modern architecture, interspersed among more classic buildings. I enjoyed seeing - and of course photographing - their unique bridges, as well as some very interesting and unusual buildings (like the cube houses).

Rotterdam, Netherlands

ROTTERDAM ALSO has a robust food culture. After our walking tour, we returned to our hotel and checked in. We met up with Bruce and Joyce for our second scheduled "food" and culture tour of the day. It was a fun time, starting in the rather famous Markthal food market, a short tram ride from the hotel. Over the years, we have come to love these food tours. We usually get a little feel for local customs and culture, like where folks gather for appetizers and drinks after work, and popular lunch and breakfast establishments. In the Markthal, we tried Bitterballen, a Dutch meatball (with various ground meats, depending on who makes them) breaded and fried, tasted some local artisan cheeses, candies, and other regional items. We ate Kibbeling (pieces of white fish deep fried, with fries), and herring. We also had fresh made, warm, Stroopwaffels, a sweet, tasty, but very rich, delicacy. I liked it all and would heartily recommend a stop (plan for some time) at Markthal to eat. While you are there, it will be impossible to admire the amazing architecture of the facility; essentially a very large tunnel. Having flown in that day, it was a long one for us, and we retired to the hotel after our tour.

Markthal Food Market - Rotterdam, Netherlands

THE NEXT day, we would have a leisurely morning. I found a nice coffee shop just 1/2 block from our hotel. When I tried to pay with some euros from my pocket, I was informed that they were cashless only. This appears to be prevalent in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Everything has gone cashless, including the trams and most retail establishments. Jolting to an old-timer like me who remembers the days before ATM's. 😃 Eventually, we mustered around and found a taxi to take us to the Rotterdam Cruise port. Having cruised on the Apex out of Amsterdam just a few months prior, we were spoiled. The Amsterdam cruise terminal is just one tram stop from the main Amsterdam rail station (walking distance). We stayed in the Amsterdam Movenpick Hotel, immediately adjacent to the port terminal, for 3 days before our cruise. On the day of our cruise, we checked out, walked out the front door and about 100 feet down the sidewalk and back in the entrance to the cruise terminal. Boarding was quick, easy and efficient. Rotterdam was an unknown to us. It turned out to be just as modern and efficient as Amsterdam, and our boarding process was quick and painless. As an aside (and I assume other cruise lines have gone this direction too - though to our chagrin and surprise, the high - end Oceania Cruise that past January, with a quarter of the passengers, was the most inefficient and frustrating boarding process we have had since our very first cruise), Celebrity now boards by "appointment." You are given a time (30-minute window) to board. We have found this very efficient. The last 3 Celebrity Cruises I have taken have had me boarded in 5-10 minutes!

The first "skyscraper" in Europe - Rotterdam, Netherlands

ANOTHER THING Celebrity has started doing which we really like is putting our cruise cards ("sea pass") in the slot outside our stateroom door. No more waiting for an announcement that your rooms are ready. They ask you to go to your stateroom, get your sea pass, drop your carry-on luggage and then get back out on the ship in case your steward is not completely done preparing the room. Again, it feels very efficient to us. A third thing most of the cruise lines are doing now is using an "app" for much of the processes that used to be done in person. One of them is the mandatory life-preserver drill where we used to go to our muster station and sit for about 45 minutes while they got set up for and conducted the drill and other introductory issues. Now, you go through a relatively quick process on the app, and then visit the muster station, where they swipe your sea pass and you are done. Ready to cruise!

Nieuwe Waterweg - Rotterdam, Netherlands

I DID one thing poorly on our last Apex sail-away out of Amsterdam. Both Amsterdam and Rotterdam are well inland of the North Sea, where the ship go in and out. In both cases the ships must sail out a narrow waterway (in Rotterdam, it is the "Nieuwe Waterweg"). From the Rotterdam berth, it was just over 10 miles. In Amsterdam, it is almost double that distance. And along that route, with the great, high perspective of the cruise ship upper deck, there are some pretty cool sights and photographic opportunities. I was "socializing," and hadn't really planned any photography for the Amsterdam sail-away. In hindsight, I soon realized that was a mistake and I missed some great photographs. I was determined that that wouldn't happen this time and was ready with my camera. I am happy that I was. I made some good shots, and along the way, we were treated to yet more of the unique architecture that seems prevalent in Rotterdam.

Rotterdam, Netherlands from the Apex upper deck - Nieuwe Waterweg

IT WAS a perfect, warm (but not hot) sunny summer afternoon. Until we reached the mouth of the waterway and started into the North Sea. A cold wind blew at us from the north, as we turned up into the North Sea, bound for Iceland. It would be the last day I would characterize as "warm and sunny" for most of the balance of the cruise.

Nieuweg Waterweg - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Nieuweg Waterweg - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Nieuweg Waterway - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Nieuweg Waterweg - Rotterdam, Netherlands 

 NEXT UP, Iceland.

Cruising South Africa - The Safari

Addo Elephant National Park, Port Elizabeth (Addo), South Africa - copyright Andy Richards 2023

SOUTH AFRICA is not somewhere I had on my radar for a cruise. But I guess any continent or country that has a substantial seacoast is a possible candidate. South Africa has a few things going against it, though, where cruising is concerned. There aren't many notable destinations that lend themselves to cruise stops - or cruise ports being built. The one place that seems like it lends itself to cruise stops is Cape Town, which has a very well-developed harbor and marine system - as it has been a shipping stop for centuries. It is the only large, developed metropolitan area near any of the coastline. There is a lot to do and experience in Cape Town. For the most part, there is not much going on in any of the other coastal cities. Maybe Durban.

Kudu -Addo Elephant National Park - Port Elizabeth (Addo), South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

ONE THING I noted about the entire South Africa Coast is that it is very windy. On the days we spent in Cape Town, it was apparently unusually so. We boarded the Oceania Nautica, a new cruise line and ship for us, on Friday after 4 full days in Cape Town. The ship is quite small compared to our experiences with Celebrity and Princess. Our typical cruise involves somewhere around 2000 - 3000 passengers (when full). There were about 450 on this cruise. The size of the ship is comparatively smaller, too. With 9 decks and a full capacity of about 670 passengers, the Nautica is just under 600 feet long, and about 80 feet wide (at the widest point), weighs in at 30,000 tons and was recently refurbished in 2022.

Michael Hammer, me, Bart O'Brien, Terry Brown and Lisa Hammer - Nautica Martini Bar - Not sure we were having any fun - (photo courtesy Lisa and Michael Hammer)

BY CONTRAST, our accustomed Celebrity ships (the Solstice and Edge classes) and Princess (Royal Class) all exceed 1000 feet in length, and are between 123 and 128 feet wide, with passenger capacities between to 2,500 to over 3,500. They range from 126 tons to nearly 130,000 tons. The Celebrity ships have 15 decks and the Royal, weighing in at 126,000 tons, has 18 decks.

Oceania Nautica compared with Edge Class Celebrity Apex - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

SOME TIME back, I blogged about the Nautica in detail, and rather than repeat it all here, I encourage you to follow the preceding link to learn more about our thoughts on the ship. I have said before that there are different features for different passengers. Some like the smaller, more intimate environment of ships like the Nautica. I also think that in places like South Africa, a number of factors (including port capacities, the size of groups traveling to the continent and the windy conditions) mitigate in favor of smaller ships. Being freshly refurbished, the traditional "trappings" of the ship were clean and polished. The overall space was quite nice.

Pink Salt reclamation - Walvis Bay, Nambibia - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

I HAVE repeated in a number of blog posts here and in my other Blog, we wouldn't recommend South Africa as a cruise destination. In our estimation, there are two primary factors that make a cruise a "good cruise." One is the ship and amenities, and the other is the itinerary of the ship. With the notable exception of Cape Town, there are really no other ports that rise to the level - in our view - of a "good" cruise stop. Indeed, in virtually every case the primary excursion and thing to do was part-day safaris. In our view, the "better" way to do this would be a land-based trip to South Africa, where you can spend more than a short port stop somewhere near the features. And much of what it spectacular about South Africa is in-country, not readily accessible from the ports. Because we think South Africa is mainly about the spectacular wildlife and natural spots, our conclusion is that a land-based trip is a better way to see it, and there are other, more desirable cruise destinations.

Walvis Bay, Namibia - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

AS THE title suggests we think South Africa was mostly about seeing wildlife (and some scenery) that cannot be seen in other parts of the world, for the most part. In South Africa, these wildlife viewing excursions (as well at some limited hunting opportunities) are referred to as "Safari." Once we boarded the cruise ship it became apparent that the vast majority of port excursions were a safari of some description. We had 5 scheduled stops during our approximately 10-day cruise, including one stop in Namibia on the west coast, and the rest in South African cities along the east coast. Of the 5, we personally had scheduled 3 safari-like trips. Our third scheduled trip was cancelled as we ultimately skipped the port due to windy conditions. In Namibia, we took an impromptu excursion on shore that did involve a pretty impressive area of pink flamingos. The Namibian Coast is also noted for its pink salt deposits and we also saw them.

Flamingos - Walvis Bay Namibia - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

OUR SECOND stop was Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), where our destination was the Addo Elephant (reserve) National Park. From the port, we traveled by car, a distance of nearly 60 miles. While the roads we traveled were mainly paved (until we got into the park), the were still country roads, through small (and sadly poor) communities, and it took us well over an hour each way from the ship.

Addo Elephant National Park - Port Elizabeth (Addo), South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

ONCE WE were in the park, our guide for the day drove the park in his own vehicle with us. There were 4 of us, my wife and me, and John and Debbie Hutton, two great and fun new friends we met on this cruise.

New friends - Michael Hammer, me, and John Hutton aboard the Nautica - photo courtesy of Michael and Lisa Hammer

PROBABLY MY favorite image of the day was the elephant who walked across the road in front of our vehicle, so close that I thought he would rub against the bumper. We got several good glimpses of elephants, as well as some other native wildlife on that very enjoyable day, getting a chance to become better acquainted with John and Debbie, who we hope to see again sometime soon.

Addo Elephant National Park - Port Elizabeth (Addo), South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

IN DURBAN, we had not been able to schedule, or join, another safari-oriented tour, so we just took the cruise shuttle to the beach and amusement area of the city, where we spent some time in their museum, and aquarium. Still mainly wildlife oriented.

Acquarium - Durban, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

OUR FOURTH stop was Richards Bay. From this essentially industrial port, we were driven another 50 miles inland to Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. Said to be South Africa's oldest game preserve, we were transferred from our vehicle to one of the often-seen open-air transport jeeps. From a photography point of view, this was better than our previous shooting at the Addo park from a closed vehicle. There, the best we could do was open a window. Here, we were out in the open - more or less.

Giraffes - Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve - Richards Bay, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

WE SAW more variety of wildlife at this reserve. We never got as close to the elephants as we did at Addo, but we did see a rhino, some buffalo and giraffes. We had a fun day, and were treated to Braai, the South African term for barbequed or grilled meat. There didn't seem to be any special food in South Africa. But they do love their meat - braai.

Rhino - Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve - Richards Bay, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

OUR RICHARDS Bay adventure was not pre-planned on our part. We had not done our usual job of organizing tours and excursions for this trip. But while on board, my new friend, Michael and Lisa Hammer had found an opening for two people with a couple from Canada that were not part of our wine group but were on the trip. They found another opportunity with some other members of the group and told us about the Canadian couple. We approached them and they were delighted to have us join them (it made for a group of 4, gave them some company, and of course, cut their cost in half - a win/win). They were a very fun couple, and we learned that we had already booked another excursion with them for the last stop of the cruise. Unfortunately, that stop was cancelled due to high winds, and we just sailed on back to Cape Town.

Cape Buffalo - Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve - Richards Bay, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

IT SEEMS like I "promised" the occasional entertaining anecdote here on the blog. One of the things often talked about on the many on-line spaces relating to cruising is the consequences of not making it back to your ship on time when in port for the day. In our 20 plus cruise experience, we have never really even had more than a slightly nervous moment relating to this issue. In Malta, in 2017, a couple of our group got engrossed in souvenir shopping about 45 minutes away from the ship, and we had to go find them and roust them, as they were dangerously close to missing the all-aboard time. In Istanbul in 2013, our private tour vehicle got stuck in traffic and it was pretty clear that we weren't going to be back to the ship at our all-aboard time. Again, we remained un-worried, as we could see a half dozen Princess Tour Busses around us. We knew all we had to do was get there before the last of them unloaded. We easily did. In 2019 in Naples, my wife and I had taken the ferry to the Isle of Capri. We miscalculated, thinking we would just come down the funicular when it was time to leave, and buy a ticket back. I stood in the ticket line with plenty of time and was one of 4 who were turned away because the ferry was full. We would have to wait 1 1/2 hours for the next one, which would get us back exactly at the all-aboard time. If everything went well. Still no real worries for us. We considered what we would do if we missed it. Our next stop was not that far away, and we figured we would just find a way there. We didn't need to. In 2015, as our Celebrity Reflection cruise pulled away from Old San Juan, well away from the dock and gaining speed, our ship suddenly slowed and the captain came on the PA system to let us know that the harbor master had very graciously agreed to bring a single straggler out. He had to board the moving ship from the harbor master boat! I would never count on that happening! One thing to keep in mind is that it takes the ship some time to prepare to disembark and the all-aboard time is always at least 30 minutes before sail-away. While that doesn't guarantee you will get on, it does give some breathing space. Well. On this trip, we had some very nervous moments, and came very close to learning what it would be like to miss the ship. At our Richards Bay Safari, we had some communications issues between the different persons responsible for our transportation. To make a long story short, we were 15 minutes late for the all-aboard time. Fortunately, my new buddy, Mike and I had exchanged numbers, and I was able to text him as we were on the road, and it was apparent that we were going to be late. He notified the ship authorities, and they called my wife, whose number they had for emergency contact, to confirm. We did make it back, (indeed, 15 minutes before sail-away) but not before becoming minor "celebrities" on the ship. Like the man said: "I am a Celebrity!" 😁

Baboons - Cape Point Nature Reserve - Cape Town, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

BACK IN Cape Town, our flight back to the U.S. didn't leave until sometime around mid-night, and we had booked a driver/guide for the day to give us some additional sightseeing in and around the Cape, and eventually drop us at the airport. On board, another couple - who we had met previously, first on the inaugural O'Brien cruise to the Caribbean on the Celebrity Reflection, and then a couple years later in Ireland during another O'Brien trip - had a similar flight schedule, with no plan for the day. Their son asked us if they could join us. We had plenty of room and it worked out perfectly. The day turned out beautiful, with sunny skies and winds much reduced from the prior week.

Ostriches - Cape Point Nature Reserve - Cape Town, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

OUR EXCURSION included a drive around the southern tip of the cape, visiting the Cape of Good Hope, and the huge national park surrounding it. We saw more wildlife, including Baboons and Ostriches, among others.

Penguin Colony - Cape Town, South Africa - Copyright Andy Richards 2023

WE ALSO stopped at the Penguin Colony and were able to get some up-close photos of the Penguins. Looking at my own photographs, it was pretty easy for me to see that South Africa is really all about the safari. As we concluded our trip, we knew that we would not likely take a cruise in South Africa again - but we certainly might make a trip back there and focus on the safari.

Caribbean New Year - Celebrity Apex 2024

[After a pretty good and busy 2023, we are back again from our New Year's Caribbean Cruise. I am a full year behind on cruise posts and my plan is to catch up in the first months of 2024. The next several blog posts will cover our South African Cruise on the Oceania Nautica in January 2023, and our Cruise to Iceland, Ireland and England on the Celebrity Apex in June 2024. I hope to be able to cover our upcoming (Jue 2024) Holland America Westerdam cruise yet this year, and be up to date. Stay tuned!]

Celebrity Apex - Caribbean 2024

IN EARLY January 2024, we spent a fun week on The Celebrity Apex with our friends, Paul and Linda. It had been a few years since we had cruised together, and it was time. Boarding on December 30, 2023, we crossed into the New Year on board. It was a first for all of us. It was also a great way to spend the holiday!

Martini Bar dressed up for the Holidays - Celebrity Apex - 2024

ONLY 3 stops in 7 days (if you skip the Bahamas, it takes about 2 sailing days to get down to the Caribbean), it was - by our standards - a short cruise. But we took full advantage of it. It is interesting to contrast this one with last year's 10-day cruise.

Eden - Celebrity Apex -2024

THAT CRUISE was on one of Celebrity's slightly older class ships (Solstice Class), the Equinox, and though it was warm weather relaxing, it was also much more stop-intensive. The Apex is among the newest, and most modern of Celebrity ships. Both are fun, but there is more to do onboard on the Apex. This cruise was really planned around "no-plans" and just enjoying the warm, Caribbean sunshine, a little island experience, and primarily it was about the ship. The Edge Class ships are the perfect landing for that kind of a vacation.

Celebrity Edge - Tortola, BVI

OUR THIRD sailing on the Apex (along with 2 cruises on the sister: Edge), we had a pretty good feel for this ship by now. It was a first for Paul and Linda and they really liked it, as we expected. There is a lot there.

Each ship in the Edge Class has different, unique sculpture around the ship - this is by the pool - Celebrity Apex 2024

THE EDGE class ships have shifted their main dining room experience from the traditional "grand ballroom" concept to 4 smaller, more intimate dining rooms, which cruisers may choose from as part of the standard fare. Although these dining rooms are able to accommodate larger groups, they are set up more like a modern restaurant. We have found seating, at least at the times we like to dine, to be very easy. We have rarely waited, and when we have, never more than about 10 minutes. Each restaurant has its own "theme:" French ("Normandie"), to Italian ("Tuscan"), to Greek ("Cyprus"), to the aptly-named "Cosmopolitan."

St. Kitts - 2024

THERE IS also a selection of "specialty" (upcharge) restaurants, including the elegant and avant garde, "Eden," the "Fine Cut" steakhouse, and "Raw on 5" (featuring sushi and other Japanese styled cuisine, the Bistro and a grill up on the "garden" deck. We have eaten in several of them and they are generally a fun - if more expensive - experience. They tend to fill up early (as in many weeks before the cruise), but we have actually had very good luck walking up and making a reservation during the cruise, which seems to work as long as you are flexible with day and time.

Old San Juan - New Year's Day - 2024

CELEBRITY HAS a "luxury" component to its cruises, and they have devoted more space for this than on the past, smaller ships. Among other "extra" amenities, it includes suites and an exclusive restaurant, along with semi-private pool, deck and spa areas, called "The Retreat." We have never experienced it, as we really have been happy with the general cruise and the ability to mix with the many, interesting, "regular folks" on the ship.

Old San Juan - New Year's Day - 2024

BEING ON board during NFL season-ending games, and college bowl games (especially the BCS championship semi-final games), we were delighted to find them carried on board on ESPN and ESPN2. There were NFL games on the big screen on the "garden deck" (top deck aft), but surprisingly the bowl games were only on the very small, "Craft Social" Bar. No seats available. We were able to watch in our staterooms, but of course it would have been more fun in a larger group. Oh well. First world problems. 😐

Old San Juan - New Year's Day - 2024

THE TWO of us had been to 2 of the 3 stops multiple times. Because of the sail time down, and because we had to make an unscheduled stop for a passenger health emergency on Grand Turk (Turks and Caicos), we didn't arrive in San Juan until late afternoon. Even though the all-aboard time was later than usual (11:00 p.m.), it was mostly dark on shore and as it was New Year's Day, much of what might be the normal sights (notably the U.S. National Park operated Castillo San Cristobal) were closed. That was o.k. We knew this in advance and really didn't have any plans. We just wanted to put feet on the ground and walk around Old San Juan a bit. We stopped for a local beer (I know, right? Puerto Rico and no rum?) and walked around a bit. Besides, we all wanted to watch the Rose Bowl game and cheer Michigan on.

San Juan Harbor - Puerto Rico

THE SECOND stop, Tortola, British Virgin Islands, was the one place none of us had seen before. When we went ashore, we decided to hire a "taxi" to give us a tour of the island. We were able to find an open-air taxi for just the 4 of us. Our locally based driver was knowledgeable and drove a loop around the island. Tortola is the largest of the BVI chain. Interestingly, while English-owned and English-speaking, they use the U.S. dollar for their currency. According to the driver, this is primarily because of the proximity to the U.S. Virgin Islands and the trade and tourism among them. At the west end of the island, you could very clearly see both St. Thomas, and St. John's (USVI). By water, it is just under 2 miles across to St. John's and about 5 miles to St. Thomas. There are, of course, regular ferries that run back and forth between the islands.

Nevis - From Celebrity Apex in St. Kitts Harbor

WE STOPPED at a bar called "Pussers" (famous for its "Pusser's Rum), and had a "pain killer," and though I don't do it as much these days, I had to buy a shirt. 😁

Celebrity Apex leaving St. Kitts

I HAVE been to St. Kitt's at least 4 times. As I noted above, this cruise was really more about the warm weather and the ship, and we didn't plan any true excursions for the week. As a tourist cruise stop, St. Kitts is one of the most "developed" (meaning about a 4 x 4 block area packed with t-shirt shops, trinket shops, nicer clothing, "duty-free" liquor stores, and of course - every jewelry store). Linda wanted to get some gifts for her family, and so we "shopped," but didn't really do anything else. Mostly, Paul and I sat at the bar in the central square, had a drink, and "people watched."

Celebrity Apex - Caribbean - 2024

BACK ON the ship, we could look forward to 3 more nights, and two full "at-sea" days ahead. The weather proved to be as we hoped for. Sunny and warm. We had a nice chance to relax and enjoy ourselves. And then, as always happens for most of us, our cruise came to an end. But fortunately for us, we have another big one scheduled in April (14 days on Holland America's Westerdam, circling the entire country of Japan). To follow that up, we are currently making plans to go back to Europe in the fall, which will likely include a Mediterranean Cruise. So we will be o.k. 😉

Celebrity Apex - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - 2024

Cruising in 2023 - Back on Celebrity - The Caribbean

[I want wish everyone here a Happy New Year! We just returned from celebrating our first ever New Year on a cruise ship and a week in the Caribbean. This post is about a cruise nearly one year ago. It is kind of fun to start the year off with a warm weather cruise (even though we now live in a warm weather climate). I am still a full 2023 cruise away from being caught up to date, but stay tuned here for my 2024 posts, which include the upcoming Caribbean Cruise over the New Year holiday and our April 2023 cruise to Iceland and the U.K. - both on the Celebrity Apex, and then on to Japan in April, 2024, on Holland America's Westerdam. We are looking forward to new adventures]

Celebrity Equinox - Caribbean 2023

WE STARTED 2023 on The Oceania Nautica, in South Africa. Fun trip and some nice memories. As I write this, we are 1/2 through the 3rd quarter of 2023. I may have a chance to catch up to 2024 by 2024! 😊Some may recall that I took the Nautica/South Africa Cruise out of order, with this post about the Nautica in January.

St. Kitts, West Indies

AS WE have had in previous years, we had a pretty full cruise schedule for 2023. Nautica in January. Equinox in the Caribbean in February. And Apex in Europe again in June. As far as we can tell, things have (mostly) gotten back to normal in the cruising world. The demand is very high for cruising right now, and while I say "normal," I suspect some things will never go back to what we had before. But by and large, things are meeting our expectations of normal.

St. Kitts, West Indies

WHEN WE did our Baltic Cruise back in 2022, I made a point of mentioning several new friends we made. We have actually made friends on every cruise we have taken since the O'Brien Cruise in 2013. Some more than others, but always new friends. But in some cases, that friendship has gone beyond just being "onboard friends," for various reasons. We have traveled with our table-mates from the O'Brien Cruise, and they have been to our home here in Florida a couple times. Recently, friends we met on our Italian Riviera Cruise on Celebrity Edge met us for lunch in Liverpool. We have stayed in pretty close touch with them since 2019. We expect that we will see them again, soon. I have gotten together with a friend we met on the Nautica Cruise recently this year. He and his wife are planning a move down to Florida, near us, and we will undoubtedly see more of them.

Bridgetown, Barbados

THE BALTIC Cruise generated some interesting friendships. One couple, who we made a point of meeting up with pre-cruise, lives just about 5 miles north of us. We get together with them pretty regularly these days (and have even booked a cruise they are one in Japan in April of 2024). We have kept in touch with a Canadian couple we met, who have connections close by here in Florida, also. And, I mentioned Mike and Elaine, and promised you would hear more about them. Well, here we are. We stayed in Amsterdam's Movenpick Hotel for 3 nights prior to the Baltic Cruise. One of the reasons for choosing it was that it was close to the cruise terminal (literally next door). It also happened to be close to the Amsterdam Central Railway station and other public transportation. It was a pretty good spot. However, it was a fair distance to get to any restaurants, and after a couple of busy days, we decided to just stay close the night before the cruise. We went down to the Movenpick Hotel restaurant for a burger. We were seated next to a couple who were boarding a river cruise the next morning. The couple the next table down overheard some of our conversation, and as we left the restaurant, introduced themselves.

Our good friends, Mike and Elaine

WE PROBABLY spent more time with Mike and Elaine on that trip than anyone else. We ran into them on the sail away. We ended up having dinner with them and our new friends, Jim and Flo. Pre-dinner martinis and dinner in the main dining room became kind of a "regular thing" for us with Jim and Flo, and after the first day or two, Donna and Pierre. Mike and Elaine joined us about 50% of the time for dinner, though Mike had a favorite spot before dinner: The Craft Social Bar. But off the ship, we did 2 or 3 excursions with them. I am a fairly early riser - and when on vacation, a breakfast person. I met Mike for breakfast every morning in the buffet. Needless to say, we got to know each other - and we got along well. Enough so that on an offhand comment by Mike one of the days, we decided to join them on a 12-day Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity's Equinox.

Celebrity Equinox - St. Kitt's West Indies

UNFORTUNATELY, WE had some "family issues" right around the time of this cruise (all came out well). By the time the mini "crisis" arose, we were well past the deadline for cancellation. We knew we would lose the $ if we didn't make the cruise. The nature of the issue meant that we could not both leave home at the same time for an extended period. But one of us could. We reasoned that the $ was spent and one of us should use it. I would like to say we flipped a coin (or engaged in some other "fair" process). We didn't. My wife opined that I had "bonded" with Mike, and that I was more of a "social" person than she was. In a "solo" situation, she thought I would get more from it and enjoy it more than her. I am sure she would have been just fine, but ultimately, I took this cruise alone. Hopefully it will be the only time.

Bridgetown, Barbados

IT ALL worked itself out. Our ship sailed out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We were mostly in the Southern Caribbean, so we were 2 days at sea at the beginning and 2 days at the end. In between, we were scheduled for daily stops in a few of "The Windward" Islands, of St. Kitts, Barbados, St. Lucia, Martinique, and Antigua. Having been to St. Kitts multiple times (and we will be there again in January 2024), and several of the others at least once, I was in my "Caribbean vacation" cruise mode. No real plans for "educational" excursions. Play it by ear. Mostly enjoy the cruise ship atmosphere, and the nice, warm, sunny weather. Even though we live in an near-Caribbean climate these days, there is just something about being "at sea," on a floating resort that makes it worth a few days.

Ferry to Nevis - St. Kitts, West Indies

GOOD THING I was in that "mode," which means "whatever happens - happens." 😀The sail-away was pretty much as expected and most passengers were already enjoying the warm, Ft. Lauderdale weather by the pool by that time. As is normal for cruising, we made good progress toward our first port - St. Kitts - overnight. But in the early morning hours, a passenger emergency forced an unscheduled stop. The closest port to us was Nassau (which we had passed by during the early evening hours the night before), and we turned around and headed back there. All in all, we lost the better part of 1/2 day, which shortened our St. Kitts stop substantially. Which was fine. The weather was great and the ship was a completely acceptable spot to to enjoy. In my case, a few drinks and a cigar (or two). My only regret was that I have wanted to take the ferry over to the other island in the St. Kitts - Nevis small nation; Nevis. Aside from being the place where Alexander Hamilton was born, I am not sure what the draw was. Just that I wanted to say "been there, done that, I guess." The shortened stop put an end to that. Maybe next trip. For what it's worth, Mike and Elaine did a back-to-back the next week and did go there. Probably not as big a deal as I was thinking. Just another island.

Bridgetown, Barbados

THE REMAINDER of the cruise stayed right on schedule. We got off the ship at every stop. Mike and Elaine and another couple cruising with them were very gracious to me, including me in all of their activities. We did dinner together each night. We went to a couple shows (not my thing usually). They had planned a beach day for St. Kitts and Barbados. I wasn't in the "beach" mood, so I did my own thing. I did go ashore in both of the places. But mainly there were shops - and trinkets. None of which I sought. After a walk around I returned to the ship and my favorite spot on the back at the Sunset Bar/cigar smoking section. And relaxed.

Castries, St. Lucia

ON EACH of the remaining stops, we got off as a group of 5, walked ashore, and found a local tour. They were all reasonably priced for 5 people, and the vehicles a comfortable size. In each case, our drivers were local, and pretty knowledgeable about their country/island. We saw quite a bit of each island and learned a little history of each.

Castries, St. Lucia

ST. LUCIA may have been one of the most interesting of the islands. Having been to a handful of Caribbean Islands over the years, I have developed a mindset of: "seen one, you have seen them all." While there is mostly truth to this notion, it is also perhaps a bit unfair. Each does have its own character, and each strives to maintain and showcase its own identity. Nearly all of them were originally settled by so-called "indigenous" tribes which came in a kind of series of discovery, conquest by the next tribe, etc. Until the Europeans (and then later, Americans) came. The importation of slaves really changed everything and those "indigenous" tribes have pretty much become extinct. The vast majority of current island residents are descendants of African slaves.

Castries, St. Lucia

BUT THEY are all influenced by the (mostly) Europeans who have dominated those places. They all developed primarily for their agriculture (mainly sugar, but also bananas and other fruits). Most of that has now lessened significantly and the primary "industry" of the Caribbean has become tourism. They are all competing for tourism dollars and trying to entice the cruise ship industry to make stops there. Some have a much more developed tourist infrastructure. Others are more recent to "the game." St. Lucia is one of those late developers, and as such, has the highest crime rates, and the least of amount of "modern" development. But in and of itself, that has a certain charm, I think. You get a bit of a view of what it may have been like before the influx.

Colorful Fishing Fleet - Castries, St. Lucia

DEPENDING ON how they were geologically formed (some from volcanic activity, and others more from winds and sand), the islands (especially the volcanic ones) often have a rainforest in the interior, and beaches on the exterior. Some of the beaches (generally on the Caribbean side) are sandy and nice. On the Atlantic side, they are often rugged with dramatic seas and waves. Almost every island has a somewhat substantial fishery. Not for export, though. These fisheries primarily serve the local population and tourism industry.

Church of the Sacred Heart of Balata - Fort DeFrance, Martinique

MARTINIQUE WAS the one primarily French influenced island we visited. That made the history of the place a little more interesting. We were there on a Sunday, and many things were closed, but we did get a tour around the island. Poor perspective and unflattering light made it difficult to record well, but the Church up at one of the island's highest points was still a highlight for me. It was architecturally impressive.

Fort DeFrance, Martinique

I LIKED the view of the city of Fort DeFrance, with the touristy, but colorful, cruise port buildings in the foreground, and the unique steeple of The St. Louis Cathedral in the distance. It kind of speaks "Carribean" to me.

Depaz Rhum Distillery - Fort DeFrance, Martinique

EVEN THOUGH it was Sunday, one thing was open for sure. Indeed, these places seemingly never stop. But we did. 😃Surprisingly, given the amount of time over the years that we have spent in the Caribbean, we have done very little rum (or rhum, as they call it there) distillery visitation. I am thinking we need to rectify that in the future! But one of the stops on our "tour" in Martinique was the Depaz Distillery. We walked through the facility, and then had a "tasting" in their shop at the end. It was mostly a self-guided tour. Not sure if they offered anything more detailed, but they weren't on that Sunday. I put quotations around "tasting" for a reason. Unfortunately, I found it a bit off-putting. For our (if memory serves me correctly) about $10 American entry fee, we were given the option to taste two different rums (additional tastes were another $3.00 each). And they were limited to two or three they had at the counter. In the shop there were a number of nice-looking bottles, but there weren't any open for tasting. What we did taste was underwhelming. I like a nice rum. Having driven to the port in Ft. Lauderdale, this would have been a good time to take a bottle or two back with me. But I didn't. I think that if they really want to sell some of their product, they need to work on their tasting set up. But that's just me. 😏

Devil's Bridge National Park - Antigua

OUR FINAL stop was St. John's, Antigua. There is little doubt that Antigua is the most developed of our Caribbean stops as far as tourism is concerned. Antigua is a fairly large island, with some very dramatic Atlantic Coastline, and some beautiful, sheltered bays on the Caribbean side. In terms of "bang for the buck," this was our best "tour," once again negotiated after we walked on shore. There is a lot to see in Antigua, and we got a pretty good feel for it. My 4 companions were all doing the back-to-back thing (interestingly, on a different ship - Royal Caribbean), the following week. They would get off the Equinox on Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale, stay one night in a motel, and join another couple on their Royal Caribbean ship on Sunday for another full week with a virtually identical itinerary to the one they just finished. They considered a couple of our island tours to be "scouting trips," particularly for good beaches. All 6 are from the Buffalo, New York area, and in February, a week in the sun on beaches and cruise ship decks are the re-charge northerns need to get through the rest of the hard winters up there.

View from the interior and above of Castries, St. Lucia - Our ship in the background

Another view from up in the interior - this time, Fort DeFrance, Martinique

ANTIGUA WAS no exception. When we negotiated our tour, we told our driver we wanted to not only see some of the features of the island, but also check out a few of the beaches (not to stay, but to scout). The Devil's Bridge is a naturally excavated (by the often-violent action of the Atlantic) "bridge" of rock that extends out over an inlet on the Atlantic Ocean side of the island. The waves can at times be spectacular. Today, it is an Antiguan National Park. And what National Park would be complete without its own version of souvenirs?

Devil's Bridge National Park - Antigua

THERE IS a bunch of Caribbean history here. In the 1600's, led by Christopher Codrington, a group of English colonists from St. Kitt's, moved to Antigua to settle, and to develop a sugar plantation using new and modern methods. Today known as Betty's Hope, the plantation serves as a site to visit. Our stop there was interesting and educational. It is a small and not touristy site, with a very modest entry fee. You can walk around the grounds where there are various pieces of machinery that was used in the operation. Kind of some fun photog - ops, too.

Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation

Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation - Antigua

Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation - Antigua

ENGLISH HARBOR is another important historical part of Antigua. Said to be the deepest harbor in the Eastern Caribbean, it was also the site of Nelson's Dockyard, a British Naval Facility, first established in the early 1700's for the British Naval squadron of the West Indies. For a 3 or so year period in the late 1700's, the famed Admiral Horatio Nelson was put in charge of the British Caribbean Fleet and was headquartered at English Harbor. The Naval facility was later named Nelson's Dockyard after him. Today, it is surrounded by toney, upscale resort properties and restaurants, even while being a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area hosts a couple internationally known sailing events each year, and draws wealthy tourists - particularly yachters.

English Harbor, Antigua

CRICKET IS Antigua's most popular sport - perhaps the most popular sport in the Caribbean. The West Indies Cricket team is internationally famous and competitive. Built for the 2007 World Cricket Cup, the $60 million Sir Vivian Richards Stadium - just outside of St. John's - is their pride and joy. Our driver drove us past it at the beginning of our tour.

Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium - St. John's, Antigua

THE CRUISE was fun, as was the company. The final two days were spent sailing back to Ft. Lauderdale and the weather remained cooperative, so a last couple days were spent on the deck, in the sun. The only cigar smoker in my group, I spent much of my time on the back deck, while the other 4 spent their time mostly around the pool area. During my time on the back, I met a few other folks from other parts of the world, including Germany, Canada, and other parts of the United States. As always, you meet interesting and nice people on board - and sometimes make lasting friendships. I have an on-line connection now, with one of the guys I met back there.

A "back street" near the cruise port in St. John's, Antigua

I HAD ambitions to finish up the 2023 cruise blogs by year end. I didn't make it. That is a good thing, because it means I won't soon run out of subjects to blog about. We spent a full couple weeks with our friends and neighbors, Bruce and Joyce, in April, in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and on the Celebrity Apex in the North Sea, with stops in 3 Iceland towns, Belfast, Ireland, Liverpool, England and finally, Dover, England. Those will come after the New Year. As noted above, we board the Apex again in just days for a short (for us), 7-day Caribbean Cruise with our dear and close friends, Paul and Linda. We have spent time with them in the Mediterranean on two different cruises in past years. They were fun-filled adventures, and we both have missed them. Paul is one of my few very best buddies, and we have so much fun together. I know all 4 of us are looking forward to this one. A first for us, we will be on the ship for the New Year. This one will be mostly about the ship - only three stops, and one of them St. Kitts again. We will get off, but more than likely walk around, have a few beers, and rejoin the ship. Fortunately, the Apex is an incredible ship - one of our favorites, with plenty to do on board. Since I won't be here to do so, I want to thank readers for hanging in with my (often "dad-joke-like") odd sense of humor and reading on; and wish all of you, along with my growing group of "cruise friends" a very happy and prosperous 2024.

Happy New Year!