December 24 – Kralendijk, Bonaire

Weather – 29º, sunny

today...Bonaire

Steps – 6,940

Humidity – 85%

Bonaire (pop 26,500), the B in ABC Islands, is our country 103! The city we are in is called Kralendijk (pop. 10,000; means coral dike) and is much more chill than yesterday. It is still tourist focused, but not as busy. We are one of 2 ships in town today, but there are many more locals around than there seemed to be in Aruba. The island is 25x5 miles. Bonaire is a ‘special municipality’ of the

island hero

Netherlands – it is too small to survive on its own and has a closer relationship to the Netherlands than Aruba and Curaçao. Many people here have a Dutch accent.

main road

We have 2 tours today, the first is described as a tuk-tuk tour – a better description would be a large golf cart tour. Either way, 6 of us are driven around the

island (mostly the city) for an hour, as Timon our guide tells us this and that about Bonaire. There are no traffic lights on Bonaire, just traffic circles.

We saw the hospital, school, church, market, main street, and other various smalltown fixtures.

Part of the outdoor market even had an Indonesian food stall for cruise ship workers – many cruise ship

swimming pool

workers are from Indonesia.

post tour refreshment

We also learned that they have a public swimming pool built into the sea. Many Bonaire locals don't swim, so now they are offering free lessons.

After the tour we found a charming overwater bar/restaurant for a 270mL beer from Curaçao - that’s as ‘local’ as it gets on Bonaire.

crab spotting

Lunch was back at the boat, then a nap and out again for a late afternoon glass bottom boat tour.

We met the boat very close to where our ship is docked. Being a cruise ship passenger on Bonaire is very easy to be docked and walk into town or to where tours start.

While we waited for our tour boat, Chris and I watched a bunch of crabs scurry on the side of the pier. The biggest one was probably the size of my palm and the smallest about half that.

Then 10 of us boarded Captain Mark’s glass bottom boat for a 90-minute sail

happy Christmas Eve

waterfront

around the reef, just offshore. The glass bottom part of the boat is kind of like a horizontal window parallel to the water in the middle of bench seating on either side. Through this window we could see everything beneath of the surface. The highlight was seeing a couple of green turtles. These were pretty big…about a metre across.

one scene of many

The rest of what we saw were lots of types of corals and of fish. All along the way, Mark told us what we were seeing and accompanying info. We also saw a couple of pelicans closer to shore.

love this!

The photos don't look like much, but it was lovely just watching the sea floor, listening to Mark's descriptions.

After about an hour we headed back to shore to cruise through the marina and shore as Mark told us more info about living on Bonaire.

Christmas Eve menu

 

Dinner was a special Christmas Eve menu. I had Christmas goose! If I didn’t know, I would have thought it was turkey - I think it was the

bûche de noël

seasoning. It was very tasty and I’m usually not the biggest fan of turkey. It came with potato croquettes which were fantastic! For dessert I had bûche de noël…a chocolate cake formed and decorated to look like a log.

December 23 – Oranjestad, Aruba

almost South America

Weather – 29º, sunny

Steps – 9,558

Humidity – 80%

Today we are in Aruba. Aruba (pop 100,000) is a volcanic island in the southern Caribbean, 29 Km north of Venezuela. It is the A in the ABC Islands. Oranjestad is the capital, where we are docked today. Aruba is a ‘constituent island country’ within the kingdom of the Netherlands. I can’t quite figure that out. The Netherlands takes care of defense and foreign affairs, but other country issues, Aruba controls itself.

We start the day at a butterfly farm. Here we learn about a few kinds of
butterflies, how they metamorphosize and get to see them flying and flitting all around us. Then we has some time to wander the enclosure to just admire the butterflies.

so many butterflies

We then shared a $7USD, 200 mL local beer called Chill. Good, normal Caribbean beer.

baby beer

Then we visited the Aruba Aloe Museum and Factory. We saw the plants, and learned how they are processed into creams, soaps, and potions. I thought they might also have an aloe drink…I’ve seen such a thing at home. They talked about how much more powerful Aruba aloe is from that from the rest of the world and how much of a laxative it is, maybe this is why there were no food or drink

products.

aloe factory

Lastly, we visited the northern part of the island and a national park. Here we drove along the sea watching waves crash onto coral. The main attraction here is the ruins of the Baby Natural Bridge - a coral arch that spanned a finger of the sea until it collapsed in 2005.

north side of the island

After the tour we knew we wanted to find the mall and a specific shoe store we knew was here…Pretty Ballerinas. We found it, but it wasn’t open…odd. It was in an open-air mall where all of the other stores were open. There was no sign or indication as to why it was closed. We thought we’d find lunch and come back. Nope, still closed…very odd. I
would never have cared to even visit, but we visited the factory on Menorca, Spain a few years back and I bought a pair then, I love the shoes, wear them all the time, so thought another would be good…nope.

normal sized beer

Lunch was a success though. We sat at the bar at Lucy’s – it was taco Tuesday. We had a couple tacos each and another 200mL beer (no one is over consuming these baby things!) The beef taco ($2USD) was particularly delicious. I could have had 10! This was by far our least expensive meal of the trip.

We found a couple of Balashi T-shirts on the way back. I guess I’ll have to settle for T-shirts and not shoes.

I can look, but can't buy

This morning, we learned that Aruba’s economy is close to 100% based on tourism. We were one of 3 ships in today. Our ship only has 700 passengers, but along with the other 3 there was total of 7,800ish passengers – this doesn’t account for the 2,800ish staff.

Although, Uri, our guide didn’t mention it, I can’t

oil platform in the distance

help thinking about what places like this did during Covid when all of the tourists stopped coming. I know many countries are pushing back against tourism, but what on earth did these folks do for money during covid. I’ve heard that many day trippers come and don’t spend money, not adding to the economy. I didn’t see much evidence of that today. Hoards of people from all 3 ships were buying shirts, beer, tours and jewelry.

Lucy's for lunch

Neither of us was all that hungry after the tacos, so didn’t feel the need for a lot more for lunch – plus, all that was open at 3, when we returned to the ship, was the pool grill. We had a slice of pizza each and some salad.

For dinner we sat outside at the ship's Italian restaurant. 

The evening show was a violinist – an electric violin. I had high hopes at the beginning of the show as she started with a heavy version of Smooth Criminal. The rest was fine, but just fine. I suppose it’s hard to appeal to many tastes. I should be happy with even one song less than 50 years old.

December 22 – AT SEA, Cruising the Caribbean Sea

further south

Weather – 26º, sunny

Steps – 4,443; this is what happens when you don’t leave the room until after noon

Humidity – 75%

It was our second sea day and we don’t leave the room until lunch time. We had to turn our clocks forward last night to be on Caribbean time, or at least what will be Caribbean time for the islands we are visiting, so a lazy morning is nice.

Another perk of being on Regent for a while is that we get a bottle of Veuve champagne. The ‘everyday’ champagne here is terrific, but to get a bottle of the stuff they would charge for, is nice. We also got a box of chocolates, but

lovely

honestly, I’m not sure how we will eat it…there’s plenty of sweets to be had.

Anyway, we thought we’d drink the Veuve today – a warm, but shady balcony, a glass of bubbly, and we are set.

Another advantage of a room on the back of the ship (which is where we are NOT located on this cruise) is that the wake is LOUD…that is both relaxing and enough to not hear the neighbours. There is inevitably a neighbour who likes to either talk on the phone on the balcony or to each other loudly enough for the world to hear…sheesh! We have some of those neighbours here…luckily, they weren’t out this morning.

boooo!

We were able to get a table at the outside spot of the lunch buffet, and then a spot by the pool for after lunch tea and reading. After lunch, we also meet I Putu, one of the pool servers. He wasn’t serving but was cleaning sunglasses!

our ship

In the evening, we had the ship’s block party where everyone heads out to the
hall to meet the neighbours. This was probably the weakest Regent block party we’ve every attended. We met 2 couples, neither of which were the ones we can
hear from our balcony. After the party I saw they were still on their balcony! I’m not the biggest fan of meeting random people but come on! 15 minutes to know the people you’ll inevitably pass in the hall isn’t too much to ask.

fritters soon!

The rest of the evening was a pre dinner cocktail dinner and the show. We’ve seen the show, “Tuxedo” plenty of times, I wasn’t dying to go, but we went and it was good.

The highlight of dinner was a baby squid salad…very tasty!

December 21 – AT SEA, Cruising the Bahamian Waters

Weather – 25º, sunny, with some clouds to keep temps perfect

where we are

breakfast

Steps – 6,777

Humidity – 85%

Ahhhh, sea days…my favourite of all cruise days. Do as much or as little as you’d like. Yesterday we planned our itinerary for breakfast and pool time. Today being Sunday means…caviar for breakfast. Do I like caviar - definitely yes, I’d never turn it down, but the fact that it is not always available makes it more desirable - scarcity increases desire.

A couple of servings of caviar, a glass of champagne and a few of the other usual breakfast suspects and we were satisfied. I’m happy Regent’s breakfast pastries never thrill me. They’re fine and if they were all there was to eat, I wouldn’t starve, but I’m glad not to salivate over them. That is except for their kouign-amman (pron - queen a mon). These are about the size of a hockey puck, are croissant-like dough soaked in sugar
syrup and baked until the sugar caramelizes…yum!

where we are headed

Regent has a bit of cult following for their cronuts (a cross between a croissant and a doughnut). I definitely don’t get the hype. I’ve tried a couple and am glad to not be part of the cult. Each day There is a different flavour – I’ve tried the maple bacon, which should be right up my alley, but nope…not for me.

After lunch I spied panettone at the self serve coffee/cookie station…recently I’ve become obsessed with panettone. Last year, I was ‘influenced’ to try a particular one labelled as the best one of the many, many available at one of the Italian

after lunch chill time

markets in Calgary. This year I was on it again and finished one all by myself before we left. Regent’s version did not disappoint.

Anyway…to the pool for after breakfast reading and blogging. We are shade lovers, if I lived the rest of my life in the shade, I’d be happy. Luckily, we found

Caribbean sunset

a perfect spot under cover. We also found one of our trusty pool guys Dipak from our last trip – it’s always nice seeing a familiar face. The drink of the day was a Chum-Chum…blueberry, raspberry and rum…yum-yum!

Speaking of familiar faces, I’m convinced that Regent staff studies guests
photos. Of course, there are some staff who we spent a lot of time talking with, but some not so much and even these folks come up to us and say hi, nice to see you again and refer to us by name. I mentioned this to a cruise director once and he was adamant that they didn’t study, but I’m still not convinced. I figure they must be incentivized to seek out repeat guests – otherwise…wow!

almost gone

Eventually the shade shrunk and we moved to the pool bar for our pre-lunch

panna cotta caviar

Aperol Spritz. Lunch was the usual, at La Veranda (deck 11), the indoor buffet. We tried for an outdoor spot, but all that was left was in the sun…nope, did I mention I’m a shade lover.

After lunch we made our way down to deck 6 and the outdoor space in the Horizon Lounge. This spot is a hidden gem. As far as I’m concerned, anytime you can get a spot on the wake of the ship is a score – it’s loud (I don’t have to hear what the neighbours have to say) and extremely relaxing. The room we had for our Africa cruise on the back of the ship is by far the absolute best location.
Today’s breakfast was there and now our post lunch reading spot was there too, just down 6 floors – I’m completely spoiled, give me the ship’s wake, some shade, a drink and a book…ahhhhh. I say this is a hidden gem, because no one is here which is pretty typical. Save for 1 smoker (this is one of 3 smoking spots) we were alone. It there were more smokers it wouldn’t be as much of a gem, but today…only 1. Ships go on and on about how fire is the biggest enemy at sea, but still allow smoking.

The Horizon Lounge is where they hold afternoon tea which they were setting up for, but beyond that and a couple at the bar…it was a ghost town.

The evening activity was same ol’…a cocktail poured by Nyoman (he didn’t study us, we know each other) while listening to Ross, the piano guy and us waiting at the next lounge for a ‘table by the window’.

another delicious dessert

Speaking of Ross the piano guy. We’ve sailed with Ross before and he’s not my favourite. As with all ship musicians, he’s definitely talented but his selections leave much to be desired. We’ve all but given up hoping for music from the last 50 years. Can’t say we’ve heard Lady in Red yet, so there’s that.

Next, we meandered down to the Mariner Lounge, outside the Compass Rose, the main dining room. This is where we ALWAYS put our name on a list for a table by the window and wait. Tonight, this place was PACKED. There was the Captain’s Welcome event in the theatre at 6 (we didn’t go), so maybe that’s why, but who knows. The Bop to the Top duo plays here which we like listening to, but tonight they were having trouble with their sound system. I could see guitar strumming but couldn’t hear it.

We were sat in Dennis’ section – second night in a row. Dennis is a Regent fixture. I’m not sure if we have really gotten to know him but know him to see him. No one on Regent is assigned to an eating time or section…you just go when you want. I’ve heard of people asking for certain waiters, but we never do. A table by the window is all we ask for.

Potato panna cotta topped with caviar was one of the appetizers tonight. This was extremely delicious. I would order it every night if I could. Most of Regent’s dishes are the same as they’ve been since we’ve sailing with them – all good, but same ol’… panna cotta with caviar is NEW, caviar 2x in one day…not bad.

I almost passed on tonight’s show because my belly wasn’t great, but I’m so glad I did. Charlotte Maltby…a young Broadway singer, she was fantastic. I have low expectations for ship shows…I don’t think this is why I was impressed, she was really, really good.

Chris ended the evening losing his shirt at the casino and I went back for a tea and some alone time.

December 20 – Miami, USA

time to unpack

itinerary

Weather – 26º, sunny

Steps – 7,995

Humidity – 70%

Today is travel day…to the Seven Seas Mariner – our home for the next 14 days. We’ve been on this ship before, but a month ago it had a face lift. New carpet, wall coverings etc. have spruced the place up, but basically, it’s the same.

Before we got to the ship, Sam, our Lyft driver got us to the port. She was something! Drivers in the US are different from Canadian drivers. US drivers are MUCH chattier. Once we got to the port, she
was convinced she knew where NOT to go in the port, even though Chris told her she needed to go on the other side of where we actually were…nope, she said nothing was over there…in the end, we got to where we needed to go, and Sam learned something new. The terminal Regent uses is small compared to the ones the mega ships use. Plus, Regent is probably in the port of Miami a handful of times throughout the year…I’m not surprised she hadn’t brought passengers to this terminal before.

We definitely weren’t the first ones to arrive to check in. There was a line of about 50 people ahead of us - one perk of having so many nights onboard Regent is that we had a priority line. We had to convince someone to actually look for us on their priority list – there we were…in no time we were on the ship.

woah! a good start

Laundry is included with the fare on Regent, so there really isn’t much need to do your own, except that we had a week’s worth of dirty clothes from being in Miami. Years ago we realized that the self-serve laundry rooms aren’t busy right after embarkation and we are killing time waiting to get into our room anyway, so we have learned to pack a laundry bag in one of the suitcases and just dump everything into a machine right after we got on.

good bye Miami

Another perk of being on Regent for as many nights as we have is getting into our rooms early. Most of the rooms are ready around 3, but ours is supposed to be ready at 1. There wasn’t an announcement of this, but around 1:30 we just went.

There rest of the afternoon is spent unpacking, meeting Katut our room attendant, and trying to nap. I didn’t have high hopes for a nap as I knew the muster drill was scheduled for 5pm. I’m thrilled to not have to drag a lifejacket down to the actual muster area while waiting for everyone else to do the same. Post-covid, we just watch a video and listen to an announcement…a long, loud announcement, but from the comfort of our room.

The evening activity included watching sail away, having a cocktail, dinner, and the preview show of upcoming entertainment.

December 19 – Miami, USA

welcome to Wynwood

Weather – 27º, sunny

Temper Tot

Steps – 15,078

Humidity – 80%

The Wynwood neighbourhood of Miami has been on our to-visit list for a while. We did a drive by when on a Hop On-Hop Off bus a few years ago and have always planned to return on foot.

The main draw (for us at least) are the murals and other art covering mostly exterior walls of buildings, but also telephone poles, fire hydrants, and other exteriors.

Wynwood Saints

Wynwood is not walkable from Miami Beach. We took the 30 min bus ride there and back - on the way back the ride was free because the machine on the bus was on the fritz.

indoor piece

We went a bit early and found a The Panther Café for breakfast. Then we met Lance, our guide, for the 1 hr walking tour. There are many tours of Wynwood art, but this particular tour got us actually into Wynwood Walls.

Wynwood Walls is an outdoor and indoor museum of streel art. Most of the art was made using spray paint, but you’d hardly notice as the pieces are so intricate and detailed. Each one is replaced every 3 years or so, as they want to make room for the next one and being outdoor, they deteriorate – they don’t really restore any of them.

3D

There are a few exceptions to this…one being the Last Supper mural. This was one of my 2 favourite pieces here.

The Betsy Orb

My other favourite were a few pieces all made with smashed glass – not pieces of smashed glass assembled like a mosaic, but one piece of glass that the artist smashed. I would never have guessed this is how the pieces were made until I looked super closely. I’ve never seen anything like these before.

sitting on art

This tour was only an hour and could definitely been longer.

After the tour we found a brewery. Wynwood, a former warehouse and garments district was transformed in the 1990s into a hip area, home to micro breweries, art galleries, and shops.

Back on the bus and we were home in time for siesta, wine hour and one last dip into Miami night life.

Last Supper - too big to get it all in a photo

so detailed

We learned from our Art Deco tour that The Besty Hotel had evening jazz piano. We thought we’d start out here…nope, the pianist called in sick. They were trying to get another player to come, but in the meantime we decided we’d have dinner, then come back on the way home.

each one piece of smashed glass

We went back to Espanola Way to Oh! Mexican. We enjoyed it last time…why not? A warm Friday night was MUCH more happening than a rainy Monday afternoon.

After dinner we were back to The Betsy…the found a new (oooold) pianist. He was good but mostly played Christmas carols when he wasn’t taking a break…musicians!

Chris and the art