Curiouser and Curaçao

Friday, October 31st
ms Zuiderdam
Sunfarer Day 4
Willemstad, Curacao
Arriving:  8:00 AM
Departing:  5:00 PM
Partly Cloudy - 876 Degrees

It's all treats and no tricks on this Halloween in pastel paradise, the sea and the sky not quite the brilliant blue of the island's namesake liqueur, but still a sparkle in the air.  Aboard a Holland America ship, we are at home today in the Dutch Caribbean.  The colony, then a territory, and now the Country of Curaçao, is still a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

With Zuiderdam alongside, it's just a short walk down the pier to shore, and the rocky promenade that leads directly to our destination, the Renaissance Curacao Resort & Casino.  It's not the Ritz, but it has a Starbucks (island style with a coconut mocha), an infinity pool, and its own lagoon overlooking the harbor.



This isn't much of a sun and swim day, though.  So, after a dip and a dry, we walked around a bit for a look at the architecture that brings the pastel to life.  Officially known as the queen Emma Bridge, the "Swinging Old Lady" floating pontoon foot bridge crossing St. Anna Bay dates from 1888.  I date from 1937, so I didn't cross.

Next Stop:  Cartagena, Columbia

The Ritz Aruba

Thursday, October 30th

ms Zuiderdam
Sunfarer Day 3
Oranjestad, Aruba
Arriving:  1:00 PM
Departing:  11:00 PM
Partly Cloudy - 83 Degrees

This whole cruise is a perk of the travel industry, but we took it to another level today.  I played the travel agent card, and got us a day pas at the Ritz-Carlton Aruba.  We have done this before, mostly to great effect.  This wasn't just an industry courtesy stop with a perfunctory tour, a hotel towel, and directions to the pool.  They pampered us poolside all afternoon, and then wined and dined us all evening.  Puttin' on the Ritz, indeed.

The hotel sent a taxi to pick us up at the pier.  Eduardo gave us a brief tour of Oranjestad on the way to the resort just down the coast at Palm Beach.  It was a familiar journey through poverty to reach opulence.

The Ritz Aruba is the five-star chain's most recent addition to their stable of properties in Mexico and the Caribbean.  Open just less than a year, the resort still sparkles with newness, but hasn't fully found its depth yet.  Built for business, but not busy, full of sol, but no evidence of soul.  Regardless, it's paradise.

A LUXURY RESORT RETREAT
"At the edge of the Caribbean Sea, where the white sand meets land, The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba offers an escape from routine and an opportunity to truly relax. The five-star resort was designed so that guests can easily explore the island or never leave the hotel grounds. Amenities are both comforting and indulgent, and all reflect the spirit, richness and charm of Aruba."

Waleska was our hostess for the day, not just a tour guide or sales agent, our personal concierge.  If Mr. Carlton himself had been the guest of honor, he wouldn't have had it any better than us.  After a look at the rooms and amenities, we were escorted to the bar for a drink with bartender Luisa.  And then, to the pool where our attendant Sean catered to our every need.  It wasn't the most spectacular tropical weather, the sky and the water less than a brilliant blue, but we sunned poolside, waded in the water and walked the beach.

As darkness fell, we took one last dip in the pool lit against the night, and changed for dinner.

Les Crustaces is the resort's French Restaurant, and the finest of their seven dining rooms.  Kenny and Dennis recommended and served us the most exquisite dinner, maybe the best we've ever had, certainly the best we've ever been comped.  The first courses were accompanied by champagne, followed by a phenomenal Meiomi Pinot Noir with the swordfish, lingering into dessert.

• Tuna Tartare
  Plumb Emulsion
  
• Alaska King Crab Fettuccini
  Lobster Sauce with Crab, Mushrooms, and Roasted Tomatoes
  
• Swordfish
  Grilled, Confit Potato, Irish Cabbage, Shrimp, Bell Pepper Emulsion
  
• Chocolate Ganache Crème Brule
  Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
  
• Banana Muille-Fuille
  Chocolate Ice Cream &Caramel

The Panama Canal will be the highlight of the cruise, but this was the highlight of the trip.

Next Stop:  Willemstad, Curacao

Half Moon Cay

Tuesday, October 28th
ms Zuiderdam
Sunfarer Day 1
Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
Arriving:  8:00 AM
Departing:  4:30 PM
Sunny - 82 Degrees

This is Holland America's private island, a little slice of Bahamian paradise.  Here is the view from the ship.

Next Stop:  Oranjestad, Aruba

Seafarer Sunfarer

Monday, October 27th
ms Zuiderdam
Sunfarer Day 0 - Embarkation
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Departing:  4:00 PM
Sunny - 84 Degrees

The Alaska cruise season is over, and now it's our turn.  After a long summer of working the hotels, the docks, and all those 'Dam ships, the first we have worked together, we are off on a little seafaring sunfaring adventure, a last-minute bit of friends and family fairweather fun.  Sailing aboard the Holland America Zuiderdam, we will call on various ports around the Caribbean, highlighted by a partial transit of the Panama Canal.

Here is the itinerary:

	10/27/2014	Fort Lauderdale, Florida
	10/28/2014	Half Moon Cay, Bahamas
	10/29/2014	At Sea
	10/30/2014	Oranjestad, Aruba
	10/31/2014	Willemstad, Curacao
	11/1/2014	At Sea
	11/2/2014	Cartagena, Colombia
	11/3/2014	Cruising Panama Canal & Gatun Lake
		Colon, Panama
	11/4/2014	Puerto Limon, Costa Rica
	11/5/2014	At Sea
	11/6/2014	At Sea
	11/7/2014	Fort Lauderdale, Florida

We flew into Fort Lauderdale direct on Alaska, arriving Saturday evening, and took up residence at the W Fort Lauderdale

There are moments in life when you realize beyond any reasonable doubt that you no longer have any claim to youth or hipness.  This was one of those moments.  With the music pumping, the lights strobing, and the beautiful people rushing by on all sides, it was immediately clear that this was not our scene.  Very nice, though, and in a great location.

Our ears never really adjusted to the constant din, but our hearts made time with the baseline, and we made our peace with what was probably the wrong choice of accommodation.

Dinner the first night was at the convenient, if unremarkable, fashion-forward hotel meat market.

We did precious little on Sunday, a little walk, a little sun, a little swim, a little nap.

For dinner, we ventured out to a dark and deserted office park on the underside of the A1A Causeway bridge that connects the barrier island beaches to inland Fort Lauderdale.  Market 17, "farm fresh restaurant and bar," has an outstanding reputation, and dinner definitely outshone the inauspicious location.  They offer custom tasting menus with petite versions of each of the mains.  We had a protein party with charcuterie and thee selections from farm and fowl.

• Housemade Charcuterie
  Served with chutneys and picklings.
  
• Petite Spicy Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin
  Coconut Orange Sweet Potato Puree, Hearts of Palm, Sautéed Squash & Kale, Pomegranate Molasses
  
• Petite Slow Roasted Duck Breast
  Brown Butter Cornbread, Caramelized Onion, Romanesco, Kale, Figs, Garam Masala Maple Brown Butter.
  
• Petite Grilled Grassfed Beef Tenderloin
  Duck Fat Confit Roasted Potatoes, Spicy Tomato Sauce, Sautéed Kale, Avocado Chimichurri.
  
• Maple Blondie
  Spicy Pecans, Bourbon Ice Cream.

After another beach walk this morning, we packed up and shipped out...to the ship.  We have sailed on the ms Zuiderdam and her sisters before, so it was a comfortable homecoming to be back aboard.  We are in a standard verandah cabin, Stateroom 6109, amidships starboard, on the Upper Verandah Deck.

Sailaway out of Port Everglades was pleasant in the afternoon sun.  When there was nothing left to see, and dusk blacked out the sea, we enjoyed our traditional embarkation dinner at the Pinnacle Grill.

Next Stop:  Half Moon Cay, Bahamas