Editor’s Note: Yikes… a month behind! Crazy, and sorry. I’ll have to do a post that living on a cruise ship is busier than one might think, even though (as mentioned in Kit’s recent post!), we have definitely chosen to let many opportunities slide by. If we feel like we have really missed something, we will be back in a few years!
In Marti’s last installment, we had finished up with Spain and the northwest coast of Africa, and heading out for a week of non-stop ocean. -rc
7 Days at Sea
November 7-14, 2024
The Atlantic Ocean: A body of salt water, covering 20% of the Earth’s surface, separating the continents of Europe and Africa to the east. Name derived from Greek Mythology, “Sea of Atlas”. Nicknamed “The Pond”. Second in size to the Pacific Ocean, the youngest ocean and the saltiest, S-shaped.
Home to a vast array of marine life from sea turtles to dolphins, tiny plankton to massive whales and various species of seals and seal lions. A hub of biodiversity.
The Odyssey sails east of Cape Verde, embarking on a great adventure and challenge. Mid-ocean tends to be choppier, more bumps, because they’re less protected from sheltering land masses.
Crossing the Atlantic holds fascination. Known for challenging conditions, strong winds, rough seas, and rapidly changing weather. Our Captain knows how to handle adverse conditions, making strategic decisions to ensure safety.
Excitement mounts, knowing the passage isn’t for a day or two, but seven days before anchoring or entering another port.
The sound of the ocean brings calmness, a magnificent moment, a soothing melody, a natural lullaby.
Seven days at sea, unfolding like a gentle awakening. A quiet hum, no land in sight. Viewing an expanse of blue, an enormous pool of wonder, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Rippling surface, shimmering in the sunlight, shining across the waves, merging with the sky on the distant horizon.
Perceiving images on the open sea, creating a sense of anticipation for what lies ahead. Giving my whole attention to the world around me, drifting on calm seas, feeling at ease with the fluidity of time, filling my lungs with fresh air, promoting a sense of peace and relaxation, A truly awesome feeling. Unique and Life Changing.
Our ship is as much a destination as the ports of call. Exploring the many options on the daily program, upcoming Special Events: Lenny Winsor, Star Cabaret, British TV Comedian. Guest Lecturer Patrick, presenting fascinating talks about our world, “The Real and The Imagined”. Our Chef Panos, creating culinary delights with a slice of humor. Talent Show: Residents and Crew performing Pirates Night…Dress-up.
Setting daily intentions: Walking, Stretching. Meditating by taking deep breaths. Listening to motivational music. Performing an act of kindness. Saying positive affirmations to combat limiting beliefs. Looking up at the sky…witnessing the beauty of the sunrise, embracing the colors of the morning. Pausing, Soaking up the moment.
Sunrise is a happy place, filled with promise and hope. Gracefully cruising through the waves as the sun’s warm glow fades into the darkness.
Pausing for a spectacular moment: the sun at the bow of the ship and the moon at the stern, infusing wonder and awe into my day. Full of beauty and magic, giving me a sense of gratitude: life is short and valuable.
Tomorrow is a new day, a new sky, and new lands: The Caribbean. Drifting off to sleep with a grin on my face.
The Caribbean
November 14, 2024
The Caribbean, long called the West Indies, is not a country. It is a crescent-shaped chain of islands, separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
The region is made up of the Caribbean Sea and more than 7,000 islands, a large number include islets (small rocky islands), cays (small low islands composed of coral or sand) and a few inhabited reefs.
Thirty of the 7,000 are island territories, each with its own culture and history but sharing a common history of slavery, plantation society, colonization, and sharing a common culture of food, music, and lifestyle.
But also a melting pot of different languages, cuisine, music and customs. A beautiful blend of colonial and native elements shaped by each country’s socio-cultural experiences. Diversity gives each island a unique identity.
The Caribbean is a fantastic region to explore, from spectacular beaches to vibrant music and dance, lively and colorful traditions, idyllic landscapes, warm tropical climate, a rich cultural tapestry, diverse marine life, rich mix of cultures, and turquoise waters.
The Caribbean cuisine centers around seafood and jerk, a very spicy dry or wet rub applied to chicken or other meat. Chicken with rice, goat stew, and Cuban sandwiches are also popular.
The Caribbean is the second most disaster-prone region in the world. The worsening extreme weather, such as hurricanes and flooding damaging infrastructure, leads to long outages and expensive repairs.
Barbados
November 14, 2024
Located in the heart of the Caribbean, Barbados is popular for its crystal-clear waters, dynamic culture and warm hospitality. A captivating destination. It’s small enough you can easily get around to anywhere you want to go in an hour or so — 21 miles long, 14 miles at its widest point. Barbados brags it’s the culinary capital of the Caribbean.
Barbados is flat. The entire west coast is 21 miles of perfect beach, an endless stretch of white sand and jewel-toned waters. The northern part is still raw and authentic, and is where a lot of the locals live. They call themselves Bajans.
Silver Rock is on the south coast in the parish of Christ Church. It’s a beach with high sand banks with wrecked ships or ships no longer in use — cool ships. A good place to swim, windsurf, hang out, or bird watch.
St. Nicholas Abbey is in the north. Take the steam locomotive, travel through 400 acres of sugar cane fields and beautiful mahogany woods. Walk around the estate, an architectural wonder, colorful houses of yesterday dot the property, lush in every direction with vivid vegetation. It feels like being in a tropical jungle.
Stop at the Rum Distillery, where copper vessels preserve the flavors of the fermentation process, the result then aged in bourbon barrels, resulting taste is nothing short of divine. Visit the museum and courtyard. Interesting artifacts, 18th- and 19th-century furnishings, art, and an eclectic chandelier made from seashells are on display in the Great House. This plantation is laced with beauty and history. Cockatoos say “Hello”.
Tidbits on Barbados: Location of the oldest rum distillery (1703). Richest Caribbean Island. Called “Land of the Flying Fish”.
These islands in the Caribbean are home to thousands of historical surprises and activities galore.
Tomorrow morning our ship will dock at another port in this magical place of palm trees, white sand beaches, turquoise waters and sunshine.
Grenada
November 15, 2024
Commonly known as “The Spice Isle”, Grenada is located in southeastern Caribbean and has a mixture of French, African, and British influences. It’s low-key, less developed, and gives one an authentic Caribbean experience. It’s 133 square miles in size, and 110,000 inhabitants.
St. George’s is the capital and often referred to as “town.” For history buffs, visit Fort George, the oldest on the island. In 1762 the British seized control. Climb a few stairs, the view is worth it.
Art Fabrik, a boutique, located in the historic district of St. George’s, sells clothing and accessories in a wide variety of colors and styles using a batik process (a process where wax is painted on the fabric then dyed in various colors).
For a multi-sensory experience, visit the House of Chocolates, a café, boutique, and museum. Watch the process of making chocolate while getting a history lesson on its origin. The boutique showcases items made with cocoa, clothing, art, accessories — and all are for sale. The world has three types of cocoa; all three can be found here. The café offers samples of the different chocolates. Homemade treats are for sale. Treat yourself with a shot of chocolate rum…savor.
The fertile soil feeds nutmeg, cocoa, and sugar plantations. Take a local bus or flag one down (the ones blaring soca music, an offshoot of Calypso which developed into a popular musical style in Trinidad in the 70s). The bus route will take you around the island’s cocoa plantations, rum distilleries, waterfalls, and rainforest trails. Rum shops line the roadsides everywhere. Drink the rum straight or with a water chaser.
While away an afternoon wandering the streets of St. George’s, passing pastel-painted churches and wooden-clad homes. The area is filled with untouched beauty, notable century-old buildings, the people friendly and welcoming.
St. George’s University draws an international student body interested in medicine and veterinary medicine.
St. George’s has a bit of everything, but not too much of anything. They have what they need to get by, and not too much more. The balanced simplicity of a Grenadian life.
During dinner the Odyssey will set sail for St. Lucia.
Last Updated December 13, 2024 Originally Published December 12, 2024
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Interesting that St. Georges is called “Town.” When I lived in Alaska, Anchorage was called “Town.” Anywhere in Alaska, if you said you were going to “Town,” it was understood that you meant you were going to Anchorage.
Also, if you said you were going “outside,” that meant you were going “outside of Alaska” to Canada, or “the Lower 48.”
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And in the 9 counties of the San Francisco Bay Area, “The City” is unambiguously San Francisco. -rc
In the NYC area, “The City” means Manhattan.
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No doubt! -rc
For people in northern Manitoba, a distinction is made between ‘going into town’ and ‘going to town’: going into town might imply a medical appointment or search for a required foodstuff, repair item or service; ‘going to town’ usually means going in to drink, carouse and see what mischief one might get into.
Town, in this case, is Thompson, Manitoba which is a nickel-mining operation that once featured 5,000 employees but now has a workforce of around 500. Technological changes, closure of the refinery, and improved employee efficiency have shown the need for fewer employees.
A resource-based community (regardless of size) usually has some ‘rough around the edges’ characters who have lots of money to spend, don’t have enough time to travel before they are due at work again, have a tendency to equate major binge drinking with a macho attitude, and see themselves as near bulletproof: put all that together and people ‘go to town’; as a regional centre, people will travel 5+ hrs for the opportunity/ability to ‘go to town’.
It’d be a fascinating research project but no one will venture into such controversial subject matter.
The article was wonderfully enteratining (and relaxing; I could almost feel and hear the waves slapping the ship!) A GREAT piece and I am STILL jealous of all you ocean wanderers!
Really love these snippets of your and Marti’s time onboard and in port. Have you thought of curating other residents thoughts? Maybe inveigle others to help? 😀 That way you can concentrate on your ‘day job’ and living your best life while others regale us with stories of their trips ashore and activities around the ship.
Maybe not what you signed up for (being the Odyssey’s editor) but something to consider if there was an easy way to do it.
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There are already several Resident blogs and Youtube channels — as far as I can tell, those who want to be publishing already are. Marti was a special case: she’s really writing for her friends and family, and being one of those, I asked her if I could bring what she wrote to a wider audience. She was pleased to say yes …and that’s about all I can handle for a side job at this point. -rc
$9 is amazing!
For comparison, Stade’s Rum Barbados Bond No. 8, 750ml is $30.99 in Washington. Not even for sale in Oregon since we have a state run liquor board that selects our liquor for us.
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And I’m sure the bureaucrats only select the best! 🙄 Glad to hear it’s as much of a deal as I was supposing. I guess I shouldn’t say that I also got a liter of Four Roses bourbon for $18, since that could be considered bragging. I should’ve grabbed more, since at a later stop it was (gasp!) $22/L. -rc
Living near the Caribbean, and having visited there (ah, from time to time) the reading was still fun and fascintating! Any upcoming stops in South Florida?
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Yes, but not for another couple-few years. -rc
I’m wondering how far in advance you know the ship’s route. Also, do the residents get any input into how long you stay at each port?
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They put out a 3.5-year itinerary, but we know that’s subject to change in the short term (weather conditions, problems at the port, delays, whatever) and long term. It’s not easy to do changes, since reservations for cruise ship docking space are typically made a year or more in advance since space is limited. The input residents have tends to be in the sense of long-term planning, and certainly not “Hey, let’s stay here an extra day!” when the next port has been paid for, and a 24-hour delay has repercussions down the line. -rc