CHAPTER 14 - 1984 CARIBBEAN CRUISE
September–October 1984 · From Richard's memoirs, recovered from his original WordPerfect files
In 1984, with Willard and Nadine Tate, we decided to take a Caribbean Cruise. The Tates are very good friends of ours. We have played tennis and cards (“Pound the Table” and “Shanghai” with Rook cards) with them for several years.
We arranged our cruise through the American Way Travel, Inc., and on September 28th we flew from LAX via Eastern Airlines, on a DC-10, Flight 518 to Miami, Florida. The total price for the Cruise for the two of us was $1,938.00, including airfare to and from Miami. We had reservations at the Hyatt Regency Miami, as a part of our cruise trip. The room was excellent and we had a good view of the harbor area. We had our dinner in the hotel that evening.
The following morning we had breakfast at a little eating place in the nearby shopping area. We were due to board the ship at 1:00 PM for sailing at 5:00 PM. Our ship was the Song of Norway of the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. The Song of Norway is 637 feet in length, with a gross tonnage of 23,005 tons. Passenger capacity is 1,040. Originally the ship was much smaller but in 1978 she returned to Finland and was lengthened by adding an 85 foot mid-section, which increased her passenger capacity, service and entertainment area. As we boarded the ship we had our picture taken as part of the “Welcome Aboard.” We had a life saving drill, consisting of finding our life jackets and donning them and, simultaneously received ample confetti and paper streamers to throw from the ship as we left port. Our stateroom was No. 489 on “A” Deck and the Tates were next door. A young man, named Lloyd was our cabin steward. We were assigned Table No. 94 in the dining room for the late, 8:00 PM or Second Seating, which we preferred. Our table mates, along with the Tates were Lee & Iril Wilson from San Leandro, California; Bob & Ruth Aiken from Marion, Ohio; and Martin Tracy & Nell Coupland from Indianapolis, Indiana. Martin and Nell seemed to be spending the cruise drinking and they did not fit in with the rest of the group very well. After a couple of days they disappeared from our table.
It was Saturday evening as we left port in Miami and we spent the following day at sea, cruising to Grand Cayman Island.
Sunday 30 September, was my 67th birthday. It was also the evening of the Captain's cocktail party. We all went through the receiving line and shook hand with our Captain, Lief Otto Bang. I received a Birthday Card signed by the Captain and the Cruise Director, Michael Bock. Nadine had been thoughtful and brought a card for me. At our table that evening she had all our table mates sign the card before giving it to me. We had our pictures taken with the Tates during the Captain's Party by the ship's photographer which turned out quite well.
The meals aboard ship were simply out of this world. The food was excellent and the service superb. Our Dining Room Waiter, Silvio, went out of his way to please us. It seemed like all we ever did aboard ship was eat. There was an Early Bird Coffee at the Outdoor Cafe, or a Continental Breakfast available in your Stateroom if you wished. For late risers a delicious Buffet Breakfast, and of course, breakfast in the Dining Room. Luncheon was served in the Dining Room, plus a Sun Worshipper's Lunch served at the Outdoor Cafe for hot dogs, hamburgers and sandwiches, for those who did not want to change out of their swim suits. An Afternoon Tea at the Outdoor Cafe was served each day with tea, sandwiches, pastries and “do-it-yourself” sundaes. In addition, there was a Snack Sandwich Service available to your Stateroom from 12:00 Noon until 5:00 PM. Dinner in the Dining Room was always a treat. Each night they had a special theme, such as: The America the Beautiful Night, Italian Night, Caribbean Night and French Night, etc. During those evenings they served specialties from those countries, and our waiters were dressed in costumes of the countries. We had a choice of over 1500 items to choose from during the week. The desserts and pastries were so good that Silvio always brought me a minimum of two. A Midnight Buffet with specialties was served every night in the Dining Room and on the last evening of the cruise a special Gala Midnight Buffet with a most opulent presentation that ever spread before your eyes. Not only did it include exotic foods and pastries but there was a variety of Ice Sculptures. They even opened the doors early for those who liked to take pictures.
For entertainment, besides the Captain's Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party, we witnessed the Royal Caribbean Variety Show featuring accomplished professional entertainers. There was a Gay Nineties Night. Willard and Nadine dressed up for it. The evening was complete with hot dogs, nickel beer, straw hats, striped blazers, ragtime piano, sing-a-long songs and a bit of old time vaudeville. There was a Cruise Staff Revue featuring the cruise staff in an upbeat, singing, dancing and comedy revue backed by the ship's orchestra. A Masquerade Night with the ship furnishing the necessary materials to dress up, at least in part, but many passengers had complete costumes. In addition, there was a Pirates Night, a Casino Night, a Passenger Talent Night, Ladies Night, a 50's and 60's night, a Country & Western Night and a Visit to the Bridge and a White Elephant Auction.
The Ship Shape Program offered a wide range of healthy activities. The four of us preferred walking around the Promenade Deck several times each morning, and by participating we “earned” Ship Shape “dollars” that we redeemed for Ship Shape T-Shirts and Sun Visors. There were also deck games, including shuffleboard, ping pong, basketball, golf putting and driving, skeet shooting, dance classes and exercise classes.
There were current late feature films in the afternoons and evenings and we saw: “Witness” with Harrison Ford, “Romancing the Stone” with Michael Douglas, “Terms of Endearment” with Shirley McLaine, and a couple of others but the first two were the best of the lot.
We sailed around the western side of Cuba, keeping our distance, but we could see the island from our ship. Monday we arrived at Georgetown, Grand Cayman Island at 8:00 AM and had until 5:00 PM before we sailed again. About 15,000 people live on Grand Cayman which is the largest of the three isles including Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
During his last voyage to the New World, Columbus found an island teeming with turtles so he named it Las Tortugas (The Turtles). Later Spanish Explorers found the same island. According to legend they saw a couple of Iguanas, mistook them for alligators, and renamed the island Caiman (Alligator).
In the 18th Century, the Cayman (the spelling has changed over the years) was discovered again - this time by some of the meanest buccaneers in the Caribbean. These pirates found them ideal for hiding from the Royal Navy because the islands, only 60 feet high at their tallest point, are practically invisible from a distance. Sir Walter Scott described the Caymans in those days as a place “where a brace or two of fellows may be shot in the morning and no more heard of.” Robert Louis Stevenson set his famous “Treasure Island” in these very islands. Sir Henry Morgan taunted the Spanish Main from his base on the Caymans; and the infamous Blackbeard hid his treasures in the Cayman's secluded caves.
Originally under the control of Jamaica, 150 miles southeast of the Caymans, the island's population became a mixture of Jamaican and British peoples. Without the huge plantations found on other Caribbean islands, slavery never established a stronghold in the Caymans; as a result, racial tensions never developed. What did develop was a happy blend of races, embodying British traditions of courtesy and service and speaking a delightful English with a Welsh lilt and a trace of Scottish brogue. When Jamaica became an independent nation, the Caymanians, a proud people with an exciting heritage and a friendly sense of humor their national symbol is a peg legged pirate turtle, chose to remain a Crown Colony loyal to Her Majesty the Queen.
We debarked the ship and by bus drove to the Beach Colony Club on the island. There we were served a light luncheon and spent our time on the beach. The water is a beautiful clear blue and the sand extremely white. Willard and I briefly snorkeled in the shallow water looking for sea life. Without my prescription lenses I can't see very well, even under water. Nadine and Willard engaged in a game of volley ball that was going on at the beach. Back on the ship Monday afternoon we headed for Jamaica and arrived the next morning at 8:00 AM at Montego Bay.
Approximately 2,500,000 people live on the island with about 52,000 permanent residents around Montego Bay. English is spoken with a Jamaican lilt. Long before Columbus discovered Jamaica in 1494, the blue waters and green hills of Montego Bay had become a favorite playground for the island's first citizens, the shy and peaceful Arawak Indians. In fact, “Jamaica” is Arawak for “land of wood and water.” Early Spanish settlers called the Arawak playground “Manteca Bahia” (Lard Bay) and used the protected waters as the island's main shipping center for fat rendered from domesticated pigs and sent back to light the lamps of Spain.
Manteca Bay became “Montego Bay” about a century and a half later when England invaded the island, conquered the Spanish and began a rule that lasted for 300 years - until 1962 when Jamaica gained its independence. During those 300 years, Montego Bay was undoubtedly one of the hiding places favored by pirates and buccaneers who used Jamaica as a base in their attacks on treasure-laden galleons sailing to Spain after plundering the Aztec and Inca nations. The infamous Henry Morgan may have walked the soft sands of Montego Bay before he had a change of heart and was knighted and later became Governor of the island.
Piracy on the high seas was replaced by piracy of another sort - slavery - and Jamaica became an island of wealthy plantations. When slavery was abolished in 1834, after 600,000 Africans had been seized for slavery, frantic plantation managers brought in 36,000 East Indian and Chinese indentured workers to man the labor intensive estates. Syrians and Germans also joined the immigration to the island. It is from this melting pot of nationalities, with its roots in slavery's subtle intertwining of tribal words and the master's language, that the Jamaican's lilting variation of English has developed, reflecting the wit, humor and grace of their culture, and lending solid substance to the Jamaican motto: “Out of many, one people.”
We decided to tour Rose Hall Great House, located on the island. It was built in the 18th century on a vast sugar plantation and then owned by Annie Palmer, also known as the “White Witch” of Rose Hall. She was infamous for her cruelty to the slaves, her voodoo and witchcraft practices and for the ill treatment of her many husbands and lovers.
The magnificent architectural structure built of cut stone in 1760 was damaged by fire but was later restored to its original beauty by Lieutenant John Rollins of Delaware. Each room tells a story of it own with furnishings to boast of the 18th century craftsmanship. “Charity” was the name of our guide who showed us through the house. We took the time to relax in the witch's dungeon and sampled the “witch's brew.” We took some pictures of the house, both interior and outside and posed for some of ourselves as well.
Jeremiah Price, our bus driver, took us back downtown in Montego Bay. We shopped around the town for a bit. One native lady came by with a basket of bananas on her head and said: “Take my picture.” I did so and found out that she expected to be paid for allowing me to take her picture. I did, and about that time a Lady Policewoman came up and ran her off. I then got a picture of the Policewoman and DeVonne. We found a charm for DeVonne's bracelet in a shop, and we visited a native craft market in town that had all kinds of wares but not much of anything that interested us.
Back on the ship in the afternoon we spend the evening and the following day, Wednesday, at sea. We played “Pound the Table” with the Tates by all crowding into their stateroom. We nearly retraced our previous sea lane as we returned toward Cozumel, Mexico, although we were a little further south as we passed Grand Cayman.
We reached Playa del Carmen, Mexico at 7:30 AM taking a tender from the ship to the Mexican mainland as DeVonne and I had chosen to visit the ruined city of Tulum. The Tates had visited it on one of their previous trips to Mexico. Disembarking the tender at a pier we walked a few blocks where motor buses were waiting for us to take us to Tulum. Our tour guide, Olegario Canul, was very knowledgeable about the history of the ruins and when I asked him if he knew of the Book of Mormon (which is, in part, a history of early people of the area) he acknowledged that he knew of it and was reading the book.
The vast expanse of territory that fell under the influence of the Maya Culture in Mesoamerica covers some 325,000 square kilometers and includes the Mexican States of Yucatan, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and the eastern area of Chiapas, the greater part of Guatemala (except for the Pacific coastal belt), Belize and the western regions of Honduras and El Salvador. The Mayan race was made up of several different groups with similar ethnic characteristics and physical features who were heirs to the same culture. There were, however, differences between the various regions. One of the most notable was that of language variations, even those arising from the same linguistic root. Today, some twenty-four different languages are spoken in the region, all of Mayan origin.
The archaeological site of Tulum is situated on the coast of the State of Quintana Roo, part of the Yucatan Peninsula that faces the Caribbean Sea. A series of archaeological sites are to be found along the entire eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with Tulum being the major center.
The first buildings in Tulum must have been built toward the end of the XII century, while its major development occurred during the XIII and the beginning of the XIV century. The buildings, tombs and platforms that are visible today within the walled city constitute only a small part of Tulum in its original form. Tulum, the modern name of this Archaeological site, means fence, fortified wall, trench, stockade. It was given this name because of the fortified wall that ran around three sides of the city on the north, south and west. The remaining eastern flank was defended by the rock face rising from the waters of the Caribbean.
Much has been written about Tulum and I have no desire to put it all down here. Suffice it to say: DeVonne and I visited the city. I climbed the steps to the top of the “Castle.” We walked through the south entrance of the Great Wall. We viewed the Temple of the Frescos, including the mural paintings inside the temple, the masks decorating the corners of the temple. We saw the Temple of the Wind, the Temple of the Sea, the Temple of the Descending God, and the House of Halach Uinik, and many other imposing buildings. These brought our minds back to the Book of Mormon and the writings of Moroni.
I took a picture of DeVonne, lounging on a limb of a huge grape tree. We did a lot of walking among the ruins.
Returning from Tulum we stopped at the Lagoon at Xel-Ha where I went for a swim. The water was clear and cool. Bathhouse facilities were not exceptionally good or perhaps DeVonne would have joined me. For my part I had to change to my swimsuit in a large room with several other men. There was no safe place to leave your clothes so I took them with me and left them with DeVonne while I swam. She got a couple of pictures of me in the water and on a small island. I bought a Mexican shirt at a store near Xel-Ha and we caught the bus back to the beach at Playa del Carmen. We boarded the tender and returned to the Song of Norway which was docked at the pier at Cozumel, and rejoined the Tates.
Thursday evening we spent aboard the ship while some “swinging” passengers went into town to the nightclubs. By 1:00 AM Friday we were back at sea and cruising for Florida.
Around midday, Friday, I noticed the ship was swinging around in a large arc. I could see it in the wake of the ship behind us. After some questioning of various crew members it came out that they thought someone had fallen overboard or was left back on one of the islands. According to the rules of the sea it is necessary for the ship to turn around and make a cursory search of the open water for any evidence of someone overboard. Eventually it was decided that the person missing was one prone to pulling such escapades as staying behind on an island, and the ship returned to its original course for Miami.
We arrived at the Miami Pier Saturday, 6 October at around 8:30 AM. Clearance through Customs was superficial and we were allowed to exit the pier area. We were bused back to the airport for our flight to Los Angeles. We again flew Eastern Airlines, Flight No. 519 and we arrived in Los Angeles at approximately 1:00 PM. We caught the airport bus to the Westlake Village bus stop and Dicky and Judie picked us up and drove us home. Tates waited at the bus stop until I could get our car and I drove them home to their place in Oak Park. Thus ended our first Caribbean Cruise.
We always pick up a bit of information on each of our vacation trips and this was no exception:
“WHY A SHIP IS A SHE”
A ship is called a she because:
A) There's always a great deal of bustle about her.
B) There's usually a gang of men around her.
C) It's not the initial expense that breaks you, it's the upkeep.
D) She's all decked out.
E) It takes a good man to handle her right.
F) She knows her topsides, hides her bottom and when coming into port, always heads for the buoys.